Hobbies for the 4th form

Hobbies

A hobby is a favourite pastime of a person. Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby to your liking, lucky you are: you have made your life more interesting.

Numerous hobbies can be subdivided 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 man’s hobbies, especially in some countries (Britain, for example). A relatively new hobby which is becoming more popular is computer games.

Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, and handicrafts. Some hobbyists write music. Two of the most famous hobby painters were President Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill.

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.

Topical Vocabulary

- a favourite pastimeлюбимое времяпровождение

to one’s likingпо чьему-либо вкусу

- numerousбесчисленные

to be subdivided intoподразделяться на (какие-либо классы, подгруппы)

- to include smth.включать что-либо (в состав)

a wide variety of activitiesширокий круг занятий

a computer gameкомпьютерная игра

- to make sculptureзаниматься скульптурой

to design a costumeразработать модель костюма, создать костюм

handicraftsрукоделие, ручная работа

a hobbyistчеловек, имеющий хобби

a hobby painterхудожник-любитель

- to have no real valueне иметь реальной ценности

valuableценный

to be housed in museums and galleriesразмещаться в музеях и галереях

a world-famous collectionвсемирно известная коллекция

to start in a small wayначинаться с малого

an itemпредмет, пункт

to collect paintingsсобирать картины

a rare bookредкая книга

an art objectпредмет искусства

a private collectionчастная коллекция

to take pleasure in doing smth.получать удовольствие от занятий

- to have the opportunity of doing smth.иметь возможность сделать что-либо

to be interested in smth.интересоваться чем-либо

to add to smth.прибавлять, увеличивать

the most exciting aspect of smth.наиболее увлекательная сторона

Answer the questions:

What is a hobby?

What classes can hobbies be divided into?

What activities does doing things include?

What do hobbyists who prefer making things do?

What do people collect?

How do people learn from his or her hobby?