Situation Practice

XXVIII. Read and dramatize the dialogue:

- What's your hobby?

- I am fond of tennis. I started playing tennis when I was eight years old. Since that time tennis has been my hobby. And what's your hobby?

- I have never been fond of sports. I don't play tennis at all. My hobby is collecting stamps. I have got a very good collection of stamps which I am very proud of. Care to see it?

- Yes, I would like to see your collection. But not now. I want to invite you to a tennis court. You will be able to watch a very interesting competition.

- Thank you for the invitation. Will you take part in the competition?

- No, I won't. As a matter of fact that will be a competition of professionals. I am not.

- I see. I hear tennis is a very popular game. In Great Britain tennis is played all year round.

- You are well informed. Tennis is played on hard courts or on grass courts in summer, in winter tennis is played on hard courts and covered courts.

- Do you play tennis all year round?

- Sure. Besides tennis, football and cricket are also very popular in this country.

- And so are golf and hockey. What about horse-racing?

- It is one of the most popular sports in Great Britain. Then comes swimming and boxing. Do you go in for swimming?

- Yes, I do. I always enjoy swimming. So does my wife Kate. We have been fond of swimming for many years.

- Well, Roger, you said you were not fond of sports. Did you tell a lie?

-No, I did not. It was a slip of the tongue. I wanted to say I was not fond of tennis.

XXIX. Enact similar dialogues.

XXX. Read the text in order to get general idea of it. Note all unfamiliar words: Leisure pursuits

The majority of young people between the ages of 16 and 19 also remain at, or very close to home whether they are working, taking part in special employment training schemes or unemployed. During this period young people rely upon their home environment as a place of safety and security and upon their parents as the main providers of money, food and all the necessary amenities for life.

Leisure time

The average young person spends around 19 hours a week in front of the television, with nearly three-quarters having a TV set in their own room, according to a government report on young people. De­spite time spent watching television, more communal activities such as cinema-going and sport remain popular. In Wales, the report sug­gests that some 50 per cent of boys play football throughout the winter, while a significant number of girls also play football, although they in general prefer swimming and tennis.

Attitude to parents

Research indicates that many young people still perceive their parents, rather than their teachers or other adults, as models from whom they draw their main beliefs and attitudes. Parents are also regarded as the main providers of advice about general problems as well as about employment.

What to do with spare time?

In common with young people all over the world, the young in Britain do not spend the greatest proportion of their time organizing or participating in clearly denned leisure pursuits. Some have hobbies which they will pursue at their leisure but many are more interested in general social interactions and activities that they can pick up and drop with ease and which do not entail particular responsibilities or planning - and particularly which do not cost money. Those at school or unemployed seldom have sufficient income to do what they please and are therefore restricted in the activities they may wish to pursue.

Young men and woman who have started in employment tend to join in pursuits which reaffirm their status as adults such as spending time in pubs, going to dances, concerts, discos and the cinema.

Also in common with young people in other countries, life on the streets is important. As children enter their teens there is a distinct graduation from the playground, garden or home to the street where young people meet and talk and start to develop their confidence. Street life ranges from groups of friends who meet together in streets, squares and parks, to visits to town centres to do window shopping and “see what's going on”.