HOBBIES

Task 1. Say which of the following you should like/ not like to do
and why.
• swimming
• fishing
• stamp-collecting
• mountain-climbing
• playing computer games
• reading books
• watching TV
• chatting with a friend on the phone

What do you like doing in your free time?

- I like playing guitar in my free time.
- I enjoy singing when I have free time.
- I am interested in music.
- I spend much time on reading books.
- I love fishing best.
- I love swimming.

Task 2: Work with a partner. Write down three benefits of

reading books.
Three benefits of reading books:
+ Books help to widen our knowledge.
+ Books give us valuable experience.
+ Books are good sources of information.

LISTENING: Questions: True or False

1. The writer started his hobby when he was young.
2. His parents were interested in reading fairy tales and other stories
to him.
3. The writer didn't start with ABC books.
4. Now he reads all the books available.
5. Reading helps the writer to know many things.
6. According to the writer, by reading he does not have to study hard.
7. The writer is able to know about a tiger through reading.
8. Books might help him in his daily life.

Talk about your collection, real or imaginary, following these

guidelines.
• name of your collection
• how you classify them
• how you collect them
• why you collect them
• how you keep them
• your plan for the future
• when you started your collection

a. What the hobby is, where you keep the hobby

- Gardening
- In the garden in front of the yard
b. How you keep the hobby
- Buying and growing some from the market, sowing some seeds,
getting some from others
- Watering, catching worms, taking photos
c. Why you keep the hobby
- Having fresh and healthful vegetables for meals
- Having flowers for decorating the house
- Giving some to others
- Enjoying nature, refreshing mind
SAMPLE
Unlike most of my classmates who have active hobbies such as
playing sports or getting together, I have a hobby that is rather
simple, quiet but meaningful. It is gardening.
My family has a small garden in front of the yard. This is the place
where I can enjoy my hobby. At first, there was nothing; however,
now it is full of plants. They are roses, daisies, sunflowers, lettuce,
cabbage, kohlrabi, all different kinds of flowers and vegetables.
Some of them I bought from the market and grew, some others are
the seeds I sowed before, while the rest were given by my friends
and relatives.
Although there are so many species, my garden is very well-
arranged. I put the flowers right next to the yard to make my house
more beautiful. For vegetables, I place similar species in a small
square, and separate squares with very short fences. This makes it
easier to take care of them.
I visit my garden very often, at least once a day. I water the plants
if the soil is dry, I catch worms if there are any, remove the leaves
or branches that are unnecessary. Sometimes, when the garden
looks extremely beautiful with blooming flowers or very green
vegetables, I use my camera to take photos of it. It will be
wonderful to look at them in the future when I am away.
Gardening is indeed very beneficial. My parents and I can have
fresh, good, and healthful vegetables for meals. The flowers help
make our house more charming and warmer. Not only can we use
them for family use, once in a while, we can share some with our
neighbors or friends. This makes our relationships closer. Also,
spending time in the garden is a good way for me to enjoy nature
and refresh my mind after long hours of studying and working.
I love gardening because of its numerous benefits, and I will
continue to keep this hobby when I move away someday.
Sample

Sample: My hobby is collecting stamps, I started to collect stamps

6 years ago. I have been collecting both local stamps and foreign
stamps from the letters of friends and relatives.I classify the stamps
into categories. I put stamps of animals, flowers, birds... on different
pages. I keep them in two albums, one for local and the other for
foreign ones. Collecting stamps helps me to broaden my knowledge
about the world around me, and it is also an effective way to be a
good geography. I plan the stamp exhibitions to learn from
experienced stamp collectors, and I can expose my collection at an
exhibition in the future.

Sample:

At the moment I am collecting dolls and teddy bears. I like to

collect them as they give me a great feeling to the memorable days
of my childhood. I can never forget the day when it happened to
me on my six-year old celabration's day. I was upset at that time
because my parents have gone away for a business trip and I stayed
at home with my grandmother. However, it was a big surprise to
me that they came back the moment. They appeared with a huge
present in their hands and gave me a Snow White doll. From that
day onward, I started loving to collect dolls and up to now, I have
got as many as a thousand dolls including teddy bears, mostly I
collected them from the internet. My dream for the future is to
open a gift's shop with all kind of dolls and bears. Hopefully it
comes true in the near future