IV. What are your favourite activities when you have free time?

I My friends and me

look forward to can't give up feel like enjoy can't help

doing nothing                               eating chocolate laughing, relaxing and having a good time. playing sports                               watching videos. playing computer games             hanging around the city. browsing the net                               outing                                                         Add some other variants.

 

V. Entertainment.

During the past hundred years, the radio, the cinema and now the television have made very great changes in the entertainment with which people fill in their free time.

A hundred years ago people know how to entertain themselves much better than they do it now. When a group of people gathered together, they talked, played cards or other games, read aloud to each other, or went out shooting or walking together. Most people could sing a little, or play some musical instrument, so at a party the guests entertained each other.

Conversation was an art; amusing conversation could keep people happy for hours.

As for games, such as football, tennis, people played them more often than they do it now. Most of them didn't play very well, but they could amuse themselves and their friends.

Nowadays we are entertained by the professionals. Why listen to your friends singing when you can hear the greatest singer of the world on the radio? Why play football with players who are not very good at it, when you can go by train or car to see some of the best players in your country playing an important match; or if you've got a TV set, just sit comfortably at home and watch the game without going outside at all?

The art of conversation and writing letters is dying. People are becoming more and more lookers and listeners and less and less doers and talkers though it's much better to do something not very well oneself than always to sit and watch others doing it.

 

VI. Answer the questions.

1. How did people entertain themselves in the past?

2. How are we entertained nowadays?

3. What is more interesting: to entertain oneself or to be entertained?

 

VII. Retell the text and say whether people entertain themselves better in the past or nowadays. Give your reasons.

Spare time

VIII. Outdoors and indoors

If you come to Britain you will soon find out that there are all kinds of things to do outdoors: there’s almost every sport you can imagine, there are parks and gardens to visit. You can go sightseeing, either on your own or in a group, and if you like walking you can go on an organized walks, which could include sightseeing too.

 If you haven’t got much money to spend on entertainment, it’s useful to know that lots of events taking place outside or in the street are free. There are street festivals for example, like the famous Notting Hill Carnival that happens in London each summer. There are public processions, such as the Opening of Parliament. In fact there are all rinds of old customs you can enjoy watching. Some of these are very old games or plays, like Morris dancing, where people in strange clothes with ribbons and bells on them dance with handkerchiefs or big sticks to traditional music. There’s been street entertainment for centuries, as you might imagine, and there’s still plenty to see today.

If the weather is cold or wet, it needn’t be a big problem because there’s plenty going on indoors. The cinema remains extremely popular. “Going to the pictures” is one of the greatest pastimes and diversions of all ages. Polls have shown that only one British cinemagoer in five goes to see a particular film; the other four are content to see whatever happens to be playing.

In London as well as in other big cities you’ll find all sorts of theatre, music and dance. The stage productions of London’s West End are among the best in the world. The variety is wide, the quality usually high or excellent. The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Royal Victoria (better known as the “the Old Vic”) and many others provide performances for many tastes. Amateur theatrical societies are widespread throughout the country and boast an active membership of thousands of people. Add to these the thousands of professional actors, playwrights, producers, technicians, agents and so on, and it becomes obvious that British theatre is flourishing.

Museums and art galleries are perfect for rainy weather. Although a visit to a museum doesn’t always sound much fun, British museums are very popular with those who indulge in self-education.

Rushing around from place to place can of course be tiring and there’ll probably be times when you want to relax. Here are a few ideas for when you’re feeling lazy. Television, or the ‘telly’, as it is called, offers you a variety of programmes. For those who feel like spending a pleasant evening out there are pubs, clubs, restaurants and discos. In the daytime you can take a boat trip and enjoy the scenic views of Britain. If you are in the country go fishing or hire a bicycle and find a good country ride. Follow a nature trail and have a nice walk looking at wildlife or visit the park and relax on the grass listening to a band perhaps. Go to a fun fair which has all sorts of games, machines to ride and frighten yourself on, bright lights and noisy fun. Another idea is to follow your nose. This means ‘go the way that attracts you most’.

 

 IX. Find in the text the words that mean the same as:

· not costing you any money;

· artistic entertainment put on regular intervals;

· festival with dancing and eating in the open air;

· group of people marching in line;

· hobby or way of spending your spare time;

· something giving rest or amusement;

· questioning a group of people to find out the views of the whole population;

· goodness or worth;

· person who is not paid to do something; clear, easily seen;

· doing well;

· teaching yourself;

· to rest from work;

· to rent for a short time;

· birds, animals or plants living free, untouched by man;

· group of musicians;

· group of amusements, food stalls, etc. set up in one place usually for a short time.

X Read the text again and match the words in these columns:

1. organized

2. country

3. wide

4. street

5. scenic

6. high

7. public

8. nature

9. fun

10. stage

 

a. procession

b. variety

c. festival

d. walk

e. quality

f. entertainment

g. production

h. view

i. ride

j. trail

k. fair

XI. Find in the text English equivalents for:

· специально организованные пешие прогулки

· уличные праздники / шествия / развлечения

· народный театральный танец «Моррис»

· люди в необычных костюмах

· старинная народная музыка

· один из любимейших видов досуга и развлечения

· любитель кино, зритель

· театральные постановки

· дают представления на любой вкус

· могут похвастаться, что в них активно работают тысячи людей

· не всегда кажется большим удовольствием

· привлекают тех, кто занимается самообразованием

· когда вам ничего не хочется делать

· живописные виды Британии

· хорошая загородная тропка, пригодная для езды на велосипеде

· тропинка, проходящая по местам, которые славятся своей природой

· ярмарка с аттракционами

· машины, на которых можно покататься и испытать свою смелость

· пойти куда глаза глядят

 

XII. Spare time of a student of a top class at school.

Every day I go to school. I get up early, do homework, and have piano lessons twice a week.

But on weekends I like to do something different. I like to relax. I watch TV or videos. If it rains, I prefer indoor activities: to read books or newspapers, to play chess, draughts or table-tennis, to practice woodcraft, to play records, to write some letters on E-mail, to draw. Besides, I have some duties about the house – to clean the flat, to go shopping, to wash my clothes. Of course, I can cook something but, frankly speaking, I don't like it. The only thing I do well is baking the cake "Prague".

In spring and summer I prefer outdoor activities. I do some gardening, ride a bike, and go roller-skating. I like sports. In summer I swim in our lake and play football or basketball. But best of all I like badminton. I like to go boating too. I don't like fishing and hunting. But ''silent hunt'' is one of my favourite pastimes. I have a lot of pictures taken in different places and different seasons. In winter it's so pleasant to go skating. But I can't stand skiing.

As for my younger sister she likes to knit and sew. She takes an aerobics class on Sundays. She also likes figure skating very much.

During the school year I try to find time to go to the theatre or to the cinema sometimes. Though I can't say that I'm a keen theatre-goer I like comedies and musicals. When speaking about films I like action films, fantasies and horrors. As I can't dance I practically don't go to the disco. I prefer to browse the net on my computer.

But, of course, the greatest part of my time is busy with my lessons, homework, and preparatory courses. As I am in my top class I have to work very hard to get ready for my exams at school and entrance exams to the university. The competition is very hard.

XIII. Say the same the other way using words and word combinations from the text:

On Saturday and Sunday; to have a rest; to prefer some activity at home; to play table games; to make food; the activity in fresh air; out-of-door games; the process of taking pictures of nature; winter kinds of sports; handicraft of the girl; the love for theatre; films with a lot of fights; films with unreal events and places; films with frightening events and heroes; the place for dancing; the last form at school; the tests to any institute.