Leisure activities in the uk

People may think the British have odd ideas about what they should do with their leisure time. They have seen so many caricatures of the average «Brit». Drunken football fans – «lager louts»- appear on TV screens worldwide almost every week during the football season.

Young people come to our cities and make fools of themselves in the pubs and night clubs. You may wonder if they are really typical examples of average British youth. Just look on the Internet and you will find some interesting information.

Unlike in many countries, young people do not take part in sports activities very much in the UK. Government statistics show that the British spend on average only 15 minutes a day doing sports. And, contrary to what you might think, young people don’t participate in sport more than older people. The average time spent doing sport, playing games, or going swimming or hiking doesn’t change much with age.

If they are not sporty, what does the average UK citizen do in his or her free time? The answer might surprise you. He or she watches TV. Statistics show that British people watch TV between two and three hours daily, and men watch more than women.

The other great British hobby, especially among women, is shopping. Every Saturday afternoon, you can spot her, the great British housewife, dragging a reluctant partner round the supermarkets and department stores. In the past, he would have gone to see his local football team, but wives no longer put up with that sort of thing nowadays.

People do have normal hobbies, of course. If we look at household expenditure statistics we can see that gardening and photography are still popular. In spite of TV, young people still go to the cinema, but very few people visit museums or art galleries. Magazines and newspapers are read a lot, too. But more often than not, the average British person with some free time stretches out a hand for the TV remote control.

Notes:

lout – неотесанный человек, деревенщина

lager – легкое пиво

spot – увидеть, узнать

drag – тащить

Answer the questions:

1. What is the image of the average «Brit» in the caricatures?

2. According to the government statistics, how much time do the British spend on average on doing sports?

3. Is it true that youth in Britain participate in sport more than older people?

4. What are popular pastimes of the British people?

Compare the information of two texts. Make a list of contradictions.

Do you know?

Cricket – крикет (английская национальная спортивная игра; проводится на травяном поле командами по 11 человек. Цель игры – разрушить бросками мяча (bowl) калитку (wicket) команды соперника и, таким образом, вывести из игры ее игроков. Игроки другой команды, стоя перед калиткой, по очереди отбивают битой мяч как можно дальше, чтобы набрать больше очков. Отдаленно напоминает русскую лапту. Известна с середины 18 в.).

Bowl – мяч, шар (деревянный; вес 1,58 кг, диаметр 12 см; слегка сплюснут и утяжелен металлической пробкой для изменения траектории качения).

Wicket – калитка (состоит из трех деревянных столбиков с лежащими на них двумя поперечными перекладинами).

Wimbledon – Уимблдон 1.предместье Лондона, в котором находится Всеанглийский теннисный и крокетный клуб; 2.разговорное название международного турнира по теннису.

Now read the text on how American young people spend their free time.