Vocabulary:
according to ones taste -
to be fond of
to be keen on
gardening
grown-up ()
handicraft ,
in a small way ,
matchbox
painting
postcard
record
coin
stamp
to take pleasure in
tape-recorder
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. Hobbies are divided into four large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things and learning things.
The most popular of all hobby groups is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities, everything from gardening to travelling and from chess to volleyball.
Gardening is one of the oldest of mans hobbies. It is known that the English are very fond of gardening and growing flowers, especially roses.
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.
Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculptures, designing costumes, handicrafts. Two of the most famous amateur painters were President Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill. Some people write music or play musical instruments. President Bill Clinton, for example, plays the saxophone.
Almost everyone collects something at some period of his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches. 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. People with a good deal of money often collect paintings, rare books and other objects of arts. Often such private collections are given to museums, libraries and public galleries so that others might take pleasure in seeing them.
As for as I am concerned, I was always fond of collecting stamps. My mother had started collecting stamps long before I was born. She gave me her six album of stamps as a birthday present when I was twelve. Then I continued collecting stamps myself. It helped me to learn a lot about other countries and other peoples traditions, the worlds fauna and flora. I used to bring the albums to school and sometimes exchanged stamps with my schoolmates.
About a year ago my parents bought me a tape recorder and I decided to collect tapes. I am fond of listening to music. I like rock and pop music and classical music too. Now I collect tapes of my favourite groups and singers. I also try to find out everything about the singers I like. I read specialized magazines and try not to miss musical shows on TV, because I want to keep up with the news in the world of music. I write letters to some fan clubs in other countries, so I have to brush up my English. I never miss a concert by my favorite group if they come to our city.
No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has the opportunity of learning form 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.
Answer the questions:
1. Tastes differ. Can you say the same about hobbies?
2. Have you chosen a hobby according to your character and taste?
3. What hobby groups do you know?
4. What activities does the hobby group of doing things include?
5. Are you fond of making things?
6. Do you know the hobbies of any famous people?
7. Have you ever collected anything?
8. What can be collected?
9. Do you have a lot of free time?
10. How do you usually spend your leisure time?
11. Does your hobby help you to learn new things?
