Pre-reading task

1. Write down the meaning of these words from your dictionary.

Hobby collecting

occupation stamp

free time to knit

regular to sew

interest to repair

to be keen likes

dislikes

2. Explain the meaning of the words above

hobby - it is a favourite occupation in a free time.

3. Work in the pairs

What do your friends do in their free time? What do your friends usually collect? Does it make them interesting person? What do you collect?

Reading

Read the text.

Hobby

Hobby is a favorite occupation of a person in his free time, not his regular business. The author of some article I once read has counted 1019 personal interests and ways of spending his spare time. The most popular hobbies are collecting postage stamps, view cards, coins or books. Some people collect pictures showing the most interesting architectural designs of our time. Others are interested in photography and take their cameras with them wherever they go. A friend of mine took to collecting tape records a few years ago. He has got dozens of recordings now, mostly pop-music and jazz concerts. But this hobby has become somewhat too much expensive of late.

The main thing about hobbies is that they enlarge a person's knowledge in some particular field and broaden his outlook. Besides, they serve to kill time with minimal harm to your folks.

One of my girl-friends likes to knit very much. Another one likes to sew the things:

skirts, blouses, dresses. One of my boy-friends likes to repair everything himself: an iron, a radio-set, a tape recorder. But most of all he likes to repair the car.

As long as I can remember I have always been keen on drawing. Even at 4 or 5 I could be sitting hours drawing fancy flowers and animals. When I grew older I hide water colors but I could not get accustomed to paints. I preferred color pencils and grew rather skillful at using them.

I am not going to become an artist I am an amateur. It suits me fine. It's a wonderful kind of hobby. It removes tension from the mind and rests the soul. When drawing, I always feel at peace with the world. It satisfies the need for self-expression and the hunger for beauty. It makes us more interesting for others and oneself.

This is my choice. But tastes differ. And every person has his own likes and dislikes.