Hobbies and leisure-time occupations

From the old English word hobby meaning horse, came the modern word hobbyhorse. This is a dummy horse attached to a performer who pretended to be riding a horse in a play or a dance. Hobbyhorse has been shortened to hobby to describe any favourite leisure time occupation. This word has become rather common in modern usage.

Leisure time occupations, or hobbies, can be divided into four groups: doing things, making things, collecting things and learning things. Of these four groups, doing things is perhaps the most popular. It includes a wide range of activities, from gardening to sailing and from chess to foreign travel. Some of these hobbies require very little equipment while others require considerably more. There is also a choice between mental and physical activities, indoor and outdoor pursuits, etc.

Leisure time occupations can be more or less active. A real hobby is usaully defined as something creative and individual, sometimes even as something obsessive, unusual or eccentric.

Exercise 10. Translate the text:

INDOOR ACTIVITIES OR HOME INTERESTS

Doing things: reading; listening to records or tapes or to the radio; watching television; entertaining friends;

playing games (e.g. chess or cards); painting; mending things.

Making things: models, needlework (e.g. knitting, crocheting, sewing, weaving, making carpets, making lace), making music, i.e. singing or playing musical instruments (e.g. the piano, the guitar, the violin), cooking and baking, home decorating and repairing.

Collecting things: collectings stamps, postcards, maps, coins, beermats, bottles, tins, old china, autographs, books, butterflies, shells, crystals and other things.

Learning things: learning foreign languages, learning to play a musical instrument, studying music, art, literature or other subjects.

Even if one's hobby does not solely consist of the study of particular subjects, a real hobbyist wants to learn more about his chosen subject and its history, so that he can become a real expert at it.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES OR ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE HOME

Sports activities: athletics, gymnastics, cycling, swimming, sailing, rowing, canoeing, racing, skiing, mountaineering, climbing.

Playing games: football/soccer, handball, volley-ball, tennis, table tennis, basket-ball, baseball, water-polo, golf, badminton, bowling, judo, fencing, boxing and taking part in competitions.

Other activities: gardening, fishing, travelling (e.g. visiting the country-side/the seaside/museums/art exhibitions/historical buildings), walking, driving a car, car maintenance, visiting a choir, watching outdoor sports, betting on matches or races.

Topic 7. ART

Text 1.Music

Speaking about art we first of all we think of music, painting, theatre and cinema. It is not an easy task to deal with all aspects of art. That is why we have decided to speak briefly about some of the most outstanding representatives of arts. We will start with a famous Russian composer, Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840— 1893). Almost everybody knows his "Nutcracker Suite" with its "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and "Waltz of the Flowers". The "Nutcracker Suite" was written as a ballet, but many more people have heard the music than have seen the ballet. Tchaikovsky wrote music of many kinds - opera s, songs, symphonies, ballets and piano concerts. Not all his music is gay, some is sad. Some of his other compositions are almost, if not quite, as well-known as the "Nutcracker Suite". Among these are "Swan Lake" and "Sleeping Beauty" (ballets), "Romeo and Juliet" (an overture), "Eugene Onegin", "Mazzeppa", "The Queen of Spades" (operas), the "Piano Concerto in B-flat minor", and the Symphony No 6, called the "Pathetique".

Many of Tchaikovskiy's compositions are very tuneful. Several popular songs have tunes borrowed from them. Two of Taras Shevchenko's poems were set to music by Tchaikovskiy.

Tchaikovskiy was born in a small town in the Urals. His father was a mining engineer. As a boy Tchaikovskiy loved music, but did not think of devoting his life to it. He planned to be a lawyer. When he was old enough, he began to study law. But at 21 he decided that music was much more interesting and entered the conservatoire at St.Petersburg. After he graduated five years later, he was made a professor at the Moscow Conservatoire. As well as teaching, he wrote a great deal of music.

His compositions are so popular now that it is hard to believe that at first they were not popular at all. For ten years his operas were failures and no one paid much attention to anything else he wrote. His home life, moreover, was not happy. Because of his unhappiness and lack of success, he became ill and had to give up his teaching.

At last his music won the praise it deserve d. Tchaikovskiy was only 53 when he died, but he lived long enough to know that his music was being played far and wide across the world.

You can't do without this vocabulary:

the "Nutcracker Suite" — "Лускунчик"

"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" — "Танець феї драже"

"Waltz of the Rowers " —"Вальс квітів"

a ballet — балет

a gay dance —веселий танець

an opera —опера

a symphony — симфонія

a piano concerto —концерт для піаніно

if not quite — якщо не зовсім

"Swan Lake" — балет "Лебедине озеро"

" Sleeping Beauty" — балет "Спляча красуня"

"Romeo and Juliet" overture — увертюра "Ромео i Джульетта"

"Eugene Onegin" —опера "Євгеній Онегін"

"Queen of Spades" — опера "Пікова дама"

"Pathetique" — "Патетична"

tuneful — мелодійний

the Urals — Уральскі гори

a mining engineer —гірничий інженер

to be made a professor — стати професором

to be a failure — зазнати невдачі

to pay attention to — приділяти увагу

to give up — припинити

to win the praise — завоювати похвалу

to deserve — заслуговувати

far and wide across the world — в усьому світі

Exercise 1. Read and memorize the following words:

Theatre - театр

e.g. I like to go to the theatre.

applause - оплески

(to) applaud - аплодувати

curtain - завіса

e.g. When curtain fell the house burst into applause.

circus - цирк

e.g. The children went to the circus. They saw the elephants and the clowns there.

performance/show - вистава

matinee - ранкова вистава

play - п’єса

ballet - балет

e.g. The ballet seemed to me a fairy-tale.

ticket ['tіkіt] квиток

e.g. We paid money for the ticket. spare зайвий

e.g. Have you a spare ticket? gangway прохід

stalls - партер

box ложа

sircle ярус

dress-sircle бельетаж

e.g. How much are the seats in the dress-circle?

gallery гальорка

pit амфітеатр

cloak-room гардероб

actor актор

act дія, акт

e. g. Running, singing and all the things you do are acts.

Amateur аматор

company трупа

cast склад дійових осіб

e.g. Do you know the cast in this play?

role роль

e.g. Who is in the leading role?

stage сцена (y театpi)

scene сцена

production постановка

composer композитор

conductor диригент

overture - увертюра

e.g. The conductor appeared and the overture began.

scenery декорації

e. g. The scenery was beautiful.

interval антракт

e.g. During the first interval we went to the refreshment room (buffet)..

usher білетер

program(me) програма

Exercise 2. Learn the following word-combinations:

theatre goer/fan - театрал, аматор театру

Opera/Play House - оперний/драматичний театр

the first night - прем’єра.

variety show - естрадна вистава

(to) pick up a ticket - купити квиток з рук

touring company - гастрольна трупа

(to) play the leading - грати провідну роль

(the title) - role

(to) stage (to produce) a play - поставити п’єсу

stage manager/producer/director - режисер-постановник

artistic director --художній керівник

to check the coat (U.S) - залишати пальто в гардеробі

opera-glasses - театральний бінокль

theatre-guide / /program(me) - театральна програмка

(to) be on the repertoire - бути в репертуарі

(to) be in the program(me) - бути в програмі

(to) sell out - продавати

(to) have a long (a short) run - йти давно(недавно)

the hit of the season - окраса сезону

music-hall - мюзик хол

Exercise 3. Fill in the blanks with the necessary words in brackets:

1. If you are fond of music you must go to the.... (cloak-room, Opera-House, box-office)

2. We bought in advance two... for a matinee performance. (opera-glasses, theatre-programmes, tickets)

3. The musicians in the orchestra were tuning their.... (instruments, composers, conductors)

4. The... are over at about eleven o'clock. (roles, tickets, performances)

5. When... fell the house burst into applause. (theatre, curtain, balcony)

Exercise 4. Answer the questions. Begin your answers with:

I believe (suppose, guess); in my opinion; as for me; as far as I know (remember); as a matter of fact; frankly/strictly speaking:

1. What theatre is considered the best in your town?

2.What kinds of plays are there on the repertoire?

3.Is the standard of its production high?

4.Is it possible to pick up a ticket at the entrance if you couldn't book it at the box-office?

5.Is there any difference in the price of tickets for morning or evening performances?

6. Which seats are most expensive?

7. Would you care to go to the Opera House or to the Play House?

8. Would you rather go to a symphony concert or to a music-hall show?

9. Do you mind having a seat on the balcony or in the gallery?

10. What plays by English or American playwrights have been staged in your town lately?

Exercise 5. Translate into Ukrainian:

1. If you are fond of music you must go to the Opera House.

2. She likes to see both classic and modern plays.

3. Usually we book tickets beforehand.

4. When we came to the theatre we saw a sign at the entrance saying "House Full".

5. Many people were standing at the entrance asking for a spare ticket.

6. When the curtain fell the house burst into applause.

7. The actor got many curtain calls and was presented with flowers.

Exercise 6. Make the following sentences interrogative:

1. The play begins at half past seven.

2. There are some people talking loudly in the theatre.

3. Some people smoked cigarettes in the cloak-room.

4. Nick is speaking quietly to Ann.

5. Ann and Nick will come home from the theatre before twelve o'clock.

6. There is a girl in a green dress on the stage.

7. Ann and Nick like to go to the theatre.

8. I met my friend in the interval.

Exercise 7. Translate into English:

1. Ви часто відвідуєте театр?

2. Вам сподобалася п’єса?

3. У цьому театрі ви можете побачити уславлених акторів.

4. Коли починається вистава?

5. Декорації тут дуже гарні.

6. Хто сьогодні грає?

7. Ось програмка (вистави)

Exercise 8. Make the following sentences negative:

1. There is a chance of getting tickets to the theatre.

2. This play is a tragedy.

3. Our seats are in the sixth row of the stalls.

4. Those are very fine seats.

5. We shall have to show our tickets to the usher.

6. There are some people that smoke in the theatre.

7. Ann goes to the theatre every week.

8. We buy tickets to the theatre at the box-office.

9. They enjoyed the performance very much.

Exercise 9. Read and dramatize the following dialogues.

Pete: Have you an engagement for tonight, Ann?

Arm: I believe not.

Pete: Well, if you like we could go to the theatre tonight.

Ann: What theatre, and what are they showing there?

Pete: The Art Theatre. It's Sheridan's comedy "The School of Scandal".

Ann: Oh, yes. That sounds promising. I read a review about it in the paper the other day. According to it, it is quite amusing.

Peter: Have you got two seats for tomorrow's performance?

Booking clerk: The first or second performance?

Peter: I usually prefer the second.

Booking clerk: I've got a few stalls and two circle seats.

Peter: How much are the seats in the circle?

Booking clerk: Two and a half pounds each. I'll show you where they are on the plan. Here they are - in the middle of the second row.

Peter: I'll take those. What time does the second performance start?

Booking clerk: Eight, sir.

A: What are theatres like in London?

B: Theatres in London are very much the same as anywhere else.

A: Where are the best theatres in London? B: The best theatres are in the West End.

A: What kinds of theatres are there in London?

B: There are opera, comedy, drama and musical comedy theatres.

A: When do performances start?

B: The performances start at eight o'clock. A: When are they over?

B: The performances are over at about eleven o'clock. A: What are the best seats there?

B: The best seats are in the stalls.

A: Where is the Royal Opera House in London? B: The Royal Opera House is at Covent Garden.

Exercise 10. Complete the following dialogues:

A: What is the play about?

B:...

A: Is it worth seeing?

B:...

A: Would you like to see it again?

B:...

A: What's on at the theatres tonight? Let's have a look at the "Where to go" column in the newspaper.

B:...

A: Oh, we have a wide choice. What theatre do you pre-

fer?

B:...

A: But I'm afraid we shan't get tickets. B:...

Exercise11. Ask questions on the text and retell it:

I'll never forget my first visit to the Bolshoi Theatre when I was in Moscow.

My friend bought in advance two tickets for a matinee performance of the ballet "Swan Lake" by Chaikovsky. We arrived at the theatre long before the performance began, for there were three of us and we were one ticket short.

A notice on the box-office of the theatre said: "Sold out". So we stood at the entrance asking people as they were going in if they had a spare ticket. At last we bought a ticket from a man who had booked two seats but whose friend hadn't turned up. We left our coats in the cloakroom and I got a programme from the usher to see what the cast was.

When we arrived at the hall we saw many people walking down the gangway looking for their seats. The musicians in the orchestra were tuning their instruments. We found our seats, which were in the stalls, and went to look over the theatre. My friend showed me the boxes, the pit, the dress-circle, gallery and balconies. At twelve sharp the lights went out. The conductor appeared and the overture began.

After the overture the curtain went up. I was in raptures at what I saw on the stage. I had never seen anything more wonderful. The setting and the dancing were superb. The ballet seemed to me a fairy-tale. When the curtain fell the house burst into applause. I applauded (clapped) so much that my hands ached.

During the first interval we went to the refreshment room (buffet). When the last curtain fell cries of "encore" sounded all over the theatre. The dancers received call after call and were presented with large bouquets of flowers.

The performance was a great success. My first visit to the Bolshoi Theatre is one of the most pleasant memories I brought away from Moscow.

Text 2. CINEMA

Exercise 1. Read and memorize the following words:

cinema кіно, кінотеатр

e.g. I'm fond of cinema.

actor актор

actress актриса

e. g. Who is your favourite film actor?

film [fіlm] (D.K.)/movie ['mu:vі] (D. S.) фільм

newsreel кінохроніка

newsfilm кіножурнал

e.g. As usual, before the show of the film they give newsreel.

(to) produce створювати, producer режисер-постановник

e.g. Do you know the name of the producer? director режисер, продюсер

script [skript] / scenario сценарій

scriptwriter сценарист

screen [skri:n] екран; екранізувати

e.g. We see the moving picture on a screen. poster афіша

review рецензія

preview перший перегляд фільму

advertisement реклама

e.g. We need a very good advertisement. book [buk] замовляти, брати(квиток)

e.g. Let's book seats for the last evening performance.

row [rou] ряд

e.g. Let's take seats seven and eight in the sixteenth row. cinerama ['sInarama] синерама, панорамне кіно

amusing цікавий

e. g. This film is amusing.

funny смішний

e.g. We saw very funny film yesterday.

entertaining розважальний

informative пізнавальний

educational виховний

exciting / thrilling хвилюючий

dull /boring нудний

disappointing такий, що викликає розчарування

cinema-goer - любитель ходити

cinema-fan - в кіно

film actor - кіноактор

film star /movie star- кінозірка

main character - головний герой

(to) produce a film - створити фільм

(to) make / (to) shoot a film - знімати фільм

(to) screen a play - екранізувати п’єсу

screen version of a novel - екранізація роману

wide-screen film - широкоекранний фільм

(to) release a film - випустити фільм на екран

(to) revive a film - показувати старий фільм

(to) advertise a film - рекламувати фільм

documentary film - документальний фільм

popular science film - науково-популярний фільм

animated cartoon - мультиплікаційний фільм

feature film - художній фільм

sound film - звуковий фільм

silent film - німий фільм

three-dimensional film - стереофільм

wide screen - широкий екран

Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks with the necessary words :

1. I like to see colour.... (screen, script, film)

2. The people who go to see films regularly or often are called.... (actors, cinema-goers, producers)

3. As usual, before the show of the film they give a.... (script. review, newsreel)

4. Today people like to stay at home to watch..., particularly when it is cold and wet outside. (television, screen, poster)

Exercise 3. Read the text, translate and find new words and copy them out from the following text:

There are cinemas (or movies, as Americans say) everywhere. They are in large cities and small towns, in villages and settlements.

Films may be feature or documentary, sound or silent.

Feature films are sound as a rule. There are also colour films. I like to see colour pictures. Animated cartoons are good too. As usu.al, before the showing of the film they give a newsreel. It lasts for several minutes. Newsreels are of great interest.

People like to go to the cinema. Millions of people may see one film. There are many films which are dedicated to the life of our people, to the present and to the history of our country. They are very popular. Some of them are very good.

I'm fond of cinema. I like moving pictures. The people who go to see films regularly or often are called cinema-goers. I am one of them.

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions:

1. Is there any difference between cinema and theatre?

2. Are cinemas open all day or only in the evenings?

3. Do all seats cost the same?

4. Where are the best seats at the front or at the back?

5. How often do you go to the cinema?

6. On which days are the cinemas most crowded?

7. Which is the best cinema in your city?

8. What film did you see last?

9. Did you enjoy it?

10. What film do you want to see next?