Dictation 9 My Hobby

My hobby is collecting stamps. When I was still only a baby, my mother began to collect for me. Of course, she did not let me touch the stamps until I was old enough not to spoil them. I remember that it was on my l5th birthday that she first put them into my bands. They were in four fat books, but since that time I have added three more, so that now I have a bigger collection than any of my friends.

How do I get my stamps? I have friends both here and in other lands who send me stamps in return for ones which I send to them. Now that I am working for my living, I do not have as much time as before to spend on my stamps, but in the evenings, what can be better than to sit down at a table with my precious books, arranging now stamps in them, writing in the names of countries, or if I am too tired, only looking through the stamps already in the books? Each stamp has a story to tell me of far countries and strange peoples. I see pictures of men and women, birds and animals that I have never seen. Kings and presidents pass before my eyes, and I can follow the history of nations.

But my stamp collection does not make me think only of the past. Just as my mother collected for me, so I too am collecting for my future child. What better way will there be of interesting him in history, geography, and languages, and of making these subjects live for him instead of being only things in school books?

Dictation 10 a Picnic out of Town

It was a fine day and my wife said to me, "Don't you think it would be nice to go for a drive somewhere out of town?" This seemed to be a very good idea, and we phoned our friends, an elderly couple, and asked them if they wished to join us. They said they would be delighted to go for a drive in the country and we arranged that we should pick them up on our way.

I pulled on my overalls and went to the garage to get the car ready. My wife was busy in the kitchen cutting up some sandwiches for the picnic. A few minutes later we called for our friends. As usual the husband had his fishing-rods with him. "Is there any particular place you would like to go to?" I asked them. "It's all Hie same to us," they said. "I suggest that we should drive to the place we liked so much last autumn. You can even do some fishing there," said my wife.

At first we were driving through a constant stream of taxis and lorries and had to stop a great deal before the red traffic lights to let the passengers cross the road. We were pleased to get out of town with all its deafening noise and dust and crowded pavements. We were very glad when the town disappeared in the distance.

It was a beautiful time of the year. Nature was awakening from her long winter sleep. The trees were filling with new life, the earth was warmed by the rays of the sun and the weather was getting gradually milder.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable time near the lake up among the hills. After such a journey one gets rid of one's headaches and insomnia for at least a month or so and is ready to work hard again. Yet we are always looking forward to other outings.