The work is carried out by Marina Ishmuratova and Natasha Kirillova

Teacher: T.N. Lapshina

FREE TIME.  HOBBIES

A hobby is something that people like to do when they are not busy with their usual work and have some free time. It is something done entirely for pleasure. Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby according to your character and taste you are lucky because your life becomes more interesting. One of commonest everyday pastimes in Britain is a walk round the shops or through the park. Wives especially, and many husbands too, love “window – shopping” in a busy commercial district. Hobbies are divided into four large classes:

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The most popular of all hobby groups is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities:

sports   People all over the world like sport. Sport makes you healthier, keeps you fit and it is just a great pasttime!

tourism  Tourism has also become the way of spending free time and a popular hobby.It helps people to learn a lot about Russia and other countries and their traditions, the world's fauna and flora.If you have a chance visit London, the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nothern Ireland.

gardening  Gardening is one of the oldest of man's hobbies. It is known that the English are very fond of growing flowers,especially roses,and the Russians prefer to plant fruit  and vegetables.

music  One of the most widespread hobbies is music. Some hobbyists write music or play musical instruments. 

US Ex-President Bill Clinton, for example, plays the saxophone.

Both grown-ups and children are fond of playing different computer games. This is a relatively new hobby but it is becoming more and more popular.

 

computer games

includes drawing, painting, making sculptures, designing costumes, handicrafts.

Almost everyone collects something at some period of his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches, etc. Some collections have no real value. Others become so large and so valuable that they are housed in museums and galleries. Many world-famous collections started in a small way with one or two items.  

The British Museum in London is one of the world's largest and most important museums of human history and culture. It was established in 1753 and was based largely on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montague House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building.The British Museum is home to over seven million objects from all continents illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present. Many of the artifacts are stored underneath the museum due to lack of space. The British Museum, like the other main museums and art galleries in Britain, charges no admission fee. Admission charges, however, are levied for some temporary special exhibitions.

Learning things  No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has the opportunity of learning from it.

By reading about the things he is interested in, he is adding to what he knows. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.  

But one cannot always read serious books.Different people prefer to relax over science fiction, detective stories, romances etc. I , for instance, prefer detective stories. In my opinion, nobody can write a novel with a good  mystery, and equally good characters better than English writers, especially women. And best of all is of course Agata Christie. Books help me to learn much interesting about the world. I  am fond of reading. I borrow books from the library and I have a lot of books at home. I like books about famous people and traveling.Literature means  a lot in my life. An English author wrote that some books  could be tasted, others could be swallowed and only a few could be chewed and digested. This quotation shows exactly why people like to read all kinds of books.

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

% % % % % % % % %

Reading 28 28 30 27 31 28 26 24 35

TV watching 25 19 21 22 23 20 15 17 21

Spending time with family 12 12 13 12 14 12 11 17 20

Going to movies 8 7 8 8 6 7 6 7 10

Fishing 10 12 11 13 9 12 8 9 8

Computer activities 2 3 3 7 6 7 4 5 7

Gardening 9 11 14 15 13 10 8 6 6

Renting movies 5 5 3 4 5 4 3 3 6

Walking 8 8 7 9 8 6 4 4 6

Exercise (aerobics, weights) 2 4 3 3 6 5 4 6 6

Listening to music 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 6

Entertaining 7 3 5 3 2 1 2 3 5

Hunting 4 4 4 6 3 3 3 4 5

Playing team sports 9 9 9 8 5 5 7 6 5

Shopping 3 3 3 4 3 4 2 4 5

Traveling 4 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 4

Sleeping 2 3 1 2 2 2 3 2 4

Gardening, be it flower gardening or vegetable gardening, is English favourite hobby!

Perhaps the commonest hobby of all is gardening. Most British houses have a small garden at the back.And many people, particularly men, are fond of gardening. Gardening is a hobby enjoyed by the young and old. Gardening also provides a source of food. Gardens come in all sizes...from window boxes to acres of land. Many things can be grown including fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Summer is a time of gardening...to enjoy the beauty and growth.

"The time spent in the garden diverts us away from anti-social behaviour and provides a real opportunity to get some exercise."

Recent research by the Horticultural Trades Association recommends that people spend at least 20 minutes a day gardening, tending to plants or enjoying green space to improve their health and well-being.

The study also showed that one to two hours a day of gardening could reduce coronary heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

The recipe of my pie

Take a small head of cabbage, cut and put it into a frying-pan. Grate carrot and onion, put them into the pan, salt to your taste, add some water and stew these vegetables in the frying-pan. Cut up paste, roll it and make small pies. Then put pies with cabbage into the oven. It takes 20 minutes to bake them.