Read the text “Hobbies”

While reading the text:

- compare your definition of the word “hobby’ with the definition given in the text,

- classify hobbies, write down examples of hobbies,

- compare your list of hobbies with the classification given in the text.

In the 16th century a favorite toy for children of all ages was the hobbyhorse. In appearance a hobbyhorse could be as simple as a stick, or it could have a decorated wooden framework with an imitation horse's head attached. Whether simple or elaborate, children used them for the games of the time involving war and knighthood, much as children in the early part of the 20th century played cowboys and Indians. In time the popularity of the hobbyhorse declined, but the pleasure of doing something outside the routine activities of daily life had brought a new word into the language, the word hobby which is a shortened form of hobbyhorse.

Hobbies today include a vast range of activities. The definition that best covers all these activities is probably constructive leisure-time activities. 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.

Sport has always been popular in our country. Millions of people watch figure skating competitions, hockey and football matches, car races, tennis tournaments and other sports events. Certainly watching sports events and going in for sports are two different things. Now everybody knows that sport can be a profession and a business. But sport can be fun as well. Besides, it helps to stay in good shape, to keep fit and to be healthy. Doing sports is becoming more and more popular. Some people do it occasionally - swimming in summer, skiing or skating in winter - but many people go in for sports on a more regular basis. They try to find time to go to a swimming pool or a gym at least once a week for aerobics or yoga classes, body building or just work-out on a treadmill.

Gardening is one of the oldest of man's hobbies. It's a well-known fact that the English are very fond of gardening and growing flowers, especially roses.

Millions of people all over the world spend their holidays travelling, they travel to enjoy picturesque places, or just for a change of scene. It's always interesting to discover new things, different ways of life, to meet different people, to try different food, to listen to different musical rhythms. Those who live in the country like to go to a big city and spend their time visiting museums and art galleries, looking at shop windows and dining at exotic restaurants. City-dwellers usually like a quiet holiday by the sea or in the mountains, with nothing to do but walk and bathe and laze in the sun.

Most travellers and holiday-makers take a camera with them and take pictures of everything that interests them - the sights of a city, old churches and castles, views of mountains, lakes, valleys, plains, waterfalls, forests; different kind of trees, flowers and plants, animals and birds. Later, perhaps years later, they will be reminded by the photos of the happy time they have had. People travel by train, by plane, by boat and by car. All means of travel have their advantages and disadvantages. And people choose one according to their plans and destinations. If we are fond of travelling, we see and learn a lot of things that we can never see or learn at home, though we may read about them in books and newspapers, and see pictures of them on TV. The best way to study geography is to travel, and the best way to get to know and understand people is to meet them in their own homes.

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

Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, handicrafts. Some hobbyists write music or play musical instruments. Almost everyone collects something at some period in 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 art objects. Often such private collections are given to museums, libraries and public galleries so that others might take pleasure in seeing them. 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.

Vocabulary

according to - в соответствие с чем-либо, согласно чего-либо

to do things – заниматься чем-либо

to make things – изготавливать что-либо

to go in for sports – заниматься спортом

to keep fit – поддерживать хорошую форму

to do something occasionally – время от времени делать что-либо

to travel by (train) – путешествовать (поездом)

to get to know – узнать что-либо

handycraft – ручная работа, ремесло

to play musical instruments – играть на музыкальных инструментах

to watch sports competitions – смотреть спортивные соревнования

to spend time – проводить время

to have the opportunity (of doing something) – иметь возможность что-либо делать

to be interested in - интересоваться чем-либо

to be fond of – увлекаться чем-либо, любить что-либо