Hobbies and free time activities

Vocabulary

free time, in my free time                                                                                                                                                   spare time, leisure time                                                                                                                                                  at weekends, in the evening, in summer/winter                                                          once/twice/three times a day/a week/a month/ a year                                                                                         to like/enjoy/prefer doing smth                                                                                                                            to hate/can’t stand/detest doing smth                                                                                                                               to be interested in/keen on/crazy about/fond of doing smth                                                                                        to go out/ to stay in                                                                                                                                          to play chess/board games/computer games/a musical instrument/sport games                                    to go swimming/dancing/ /skating/snowboarding/ jogging/rollerblading / windsurfing/sailing/hiking/camping/fishing/hunting/shopping                                                                                       to go for a run/for a walk/ to the cinema/to the theatre/to the gym/to a café                                             to do crosswords/puzzles/sports/aerobics/yoga/morning exercises/gardening/                 homework/housework/a driving course/foreign language course/photography                                                                          to collect stamps/coins/postcards/CDs/calendars/books                                                                                                to make films/sculptures/toys                                                                                                                        to meet with friends, read stories/novels/detective stories/science fiction                                                    to cook, paint in oil/pencil, draw, listen to classical/rock/pop/jazz music                                                      to watch TV, films, comedies, thrillers, horror/adventure/documentary films                                         to visit museums, exhibitions, art galleries                                                                                                       to ride a bike/motorbike, drive a car

Ex.1 Let’s speak about different seasons. What are the seasons? What season is it now? What months does each season include?

 

Ex.2 Look at different leisure activities. Discuss what activities you can do in different seasons.

Play sport games, computer games, chess, cards, board games, the piano.                           Go dancing, swimming, skiing, skating, snowboarding, jogging, sailing, hiking. Go to the cinema, to the theatre, to the gym.                                                                      Do morning exercise yoga, gardening, a driving course, a language course.

 

Ex.3 Read about three people from different countries. What are their favourite months? Why?

Maria from Australia: I like summer best. We cook and eat in the garden, and we often go to the beach. I don’t like sunbathing but I love water sports. I go surfing and waterskiing, and sometimes I go sailing. Summer here is from December to February, so we always spend Christmas on the beach.

Tumalee from Thailand: I live in the north of Thailand. We have three seasons – hot, rainy, and cool. I like the cool season from November to February. It’s our “winter”. In February, we have lots of tropical flowers and a beautiful Flower Festival.

Max from Norway: Here is a joke about my country – winter lasts nine months, and the other three are good for skiing. Our summer is short but it can be warm. My favourite season is spring. It’s the best time for skiing. I enjoy going fast down a white mountain under a blue sky.

 

Ex.4 What is your favourite season? Why? What do you do in each season?

 

Ex. 5 Read the following text about hobbies. Give the summary and speak about four types of hobbies.

Hobbies

Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby to your liking, you have made your life more interesting. Hobbies can be subdivided into four large groups: doing things, making things, collecting things, and learning things.

  The most popular of all hobbies is doing things. It includes activities from gardening to travelling and from playing chess or computer games to swimming. Making things includes drawing, painting, sculpturing, designing clothes, writing music or novels, and handicrafts. Almost everyone collects something at some period of his life: stamps, coins, books, CDs, postcards, toys, watches, etc. Some collections are so big and valuable that they are housed in museums and art galleries. People with a good deal of money often collect paintings, rare books, and art objects. Sometimes private collections are given to museums, libraries and public galleries so that other people might take pleasure in seeing them.

  With any kind of hobby people always have an opportunity to learn from it. By reading about the things they are interested in, they are getting new knowledge. Learning things also includes doing different kinds of courses, such as driving, cooking, or foreign languages.

 

Ex. 6 Have you ever had any hobby mentioned in the text? Do you know people who have an interesting or unusual hobby?

 

Ex. 7 Match the phrases in A with their opposites in B. A B                                                                       1. I spend a lot of time                       I’m not interested in                                          2. I really love                                    I don’t have enough time                                   3. I spend too much time                    I’m not very good at                                         4. I’m quite good at                            I absolutely hate                                            5. I really enjoy                                   I can’t stand 6. I just adore                                      I don’t spend much time

Mind that “V-ing” is used after all of these expressions.

 

Ex. 8 Use the phrases in Ex.7 to make eight true sentences about the activities below.

Chatting on the phone        listening to music      doing exercises                                 hanging out with friends     doing your homework doing housework               shopping                             playing computer games reading                            relaxing and doing nothing texting your friends     walking                                  watching TV                       on/using the Internet    cooking                                playing football or volleyball    clubbing                           cycling

Examples: I’m not very good at cooking. I spend a lot of time watching TV.

Ex. 9 A researcher is interviewing Tom about his free time activities. Read the interview and say how often he does different activities. Write out frequency adverbs and try to remember them.