Use the correct form of these verbs to complete the sentences.

relax	take	give it up	learn
get	spend	join	take up

1. I’m …….. to play the guitar.

2. I ….. all my free time doing karate. I ……. A club three years ago and I’ve just got my black belt.

3. I used to go windsurfing every week but I had to …. when I started university because I didn’t have the time.

4. I paint most evenings and weekends. I find it relaxing and it ….. my mind off work.

5. I go fishing quite a lot. It …. me out of the house and it helps me ….. and forget all my worries.

6. I ….. golf when I was about 40, when I had to stop playing rugby.

Writing

Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs from the list.

devise

launch

produce

design

develop

discover

Monopoly

In 1934, Charles Darrow (1) ………. How to keep his friends and family entertained – he introduced them to his board game, Monopoly. The place names on the board were from Philadelphia, where he lived, and the counters were (2) ……. Using charms from his wife’s bracelet as models.

Darrow (3) ………. The first 5,000 sets himself before Parker Brothers took over and (4) …….. the game in 1935. It is sometimes said that Darrow (5) …….. the game from a rent-and-sale game which had been (6) ……. By an Englishman in the 1920’s.

8. Read the text given below. Choose the best heading (A-F) for each paragraph (0-4). There is one heading which you do not need to use.

 

 

(0) …..

Stamp collecting has an image problem. Let’s face it, the thought of it as rather “boring” or as a hobby for “nerds” has probably at one point or another crossed the minds of even the most polite and tolerant of us. This is not to say that many of us haven’t collected stamps at some stage of our lives, even if meant commencing an interest that didn’t progress beyond soaking a few of our overseas relatives’ letters in water to try to get those interesting, exotic-looking stamps off. A stamp album or two from days gone by, tucked away or probably hidden in the back of a closet somewhere, isn’t unusual either.

(1) ….

How times have changed! Stamp collecting was a hobby that important figures, such as England’s King George V proudly admitted to participating in. it has been referred to as “the hobby of kings”, and at the mere mention of the word “hobby”, stamp collecting is the most popular one that comes to mind. A word of ancient Greek origin – “philately”, has even been given to the practice. “Philos” meaning friend and “afelos” referring to free of tax, as stamps are basically signs meaning that postage, or tax has been paid. So there you have it – in ancient Greek, stamps are friendly and functional!

(2) …..

Stamps haven’t been around since the Parthenon though. The first postage stamps were issued in Britain in the year 1840. The United States followed a few years later while the idea caught on so well, that by 1860 almost every country had a stamp. Catalogues of each country’s stamps were then published, and stamp enthusiasts and collectors could pore over these pages with curiosity and delight.

(3) …..

Things that may seem rather weird to the lay-person, can be normal practice amongst, stamp collectors. Looking at the way the edges of each stamp are cut is one of these “inside” activities. Others include looking at different paper that some stamps are printed on, as well aside type of ink used and the printing method. In fact, printing errors on stamps can make them collector’s items. Generally, stamps that are hard to find, means that they are rare, which in turn means that they’re worth quite a bit of money.

(4) ……

Monetary values aside, stamps can be seen as representations of art. They serve as social and historical indicators of a country, and its culture. What is more, people of all ages and from all walks of life can enjoy stamp collecting. In these days of emails, mobile phone text messages and faxes, letters seem to be becoming less frequent. As a result, perhaps those colourful, little postage marks known as stamps may start to fascinate people once again. Who knows, stamp collecting might boom, and be once again placed on its former pedestal, as the “king of hobbies”.

A. Tricks of the Trade

B. Royalty and Philosophers

C. A Special Bookcase for Stamp Albums

D. National Symbols

E. A 19^th Century Global Trend

F. A Bad Reputation

 

 

Lesson 13.

 

What is a Hobby?

A hobby is an activity that a person does in their free time. People have hobbies for pleasure. A person’s hobby is usually connected to what they enjoy. A person who likes to create things with their hands, for example, may want to knit or do woodwork. Collecting, making things and sports are all hobbies. Hobbies often lead to skill, knowledge and experience.

What is Leisure Time?

If you hear someone talking about their “leisure time”, they probably mean the time when they are away from work. A hobby can be part of our leisure time. Leisure time is not spent on things that you have to do, like work, studying, errands, housework, etc.