22. Fill in the correct word from the list below. Some words may be used more than once.

experience, enjoyed, entertained, pleasurable, pleasurably, hobby, engages, improve, improvement, disappointment

1. Coin collecting has been a ___ of mine ever since I was a child.

2. I find gardening a very ___ hobby.

3. Jumping out of an airplane at ten thousand feet is quite an ___, I can tell you!

4. He ___ in many sports.

5. He was ___ surprised.

6. It’s a fascinating film – we ___ it immensely.

7. The trip was a big ___ – it rained every day.

8. A group of children ___ us with a lively dance called a tarantella.

9. Meeting her after all these years was an unforgettable ___.

10. If your driving continues to___, you should have no problem passing the test.

11. The team played much better on Saturday. I just hope this ___ continues.

23. Complete the sentences with the prepositions in the box.

in, on, of, to, with

1. The daily activities which we most enjoy are those associated ___ free time.

2. It is particularly enjoyable to take part ___ artistic activities, such as singing or taking dance lessons.

3. Only people engaging ___ a leisure activity can decide whether this activity is enjoyable or not.

4. I got her involved ___ the planning.

5. Music is one ___ my interests and I love going ___ symphony concerts.

6. Their songs appeal ___ a broad spectrum of music lovers.

7. The park was full ___ people, enjoying themselves ___ the sunshine.

8. He had a great sense ___ humour and always enjoyed a good joke.

9. The children were so absorbed ___ their game, that they didn’t hear me when I called.

10. Your standard of living not only depends ___ your income, but also ___ the amount of leisure you enjoy.

11. A reduction ___ working hours has led ___ an increase ___ leisure time.

12. Periods of free time are the most enjoyable moments ___ the day but our appreciation ___ our free time varies according to the activities ___ which it is devoted.

24. Match the sentence beginnings (a-g) with their endings (1-7).

The students all ... The book is really worth reading if ... Learning a new language ... What really appealed to me was ... It’s difficult for us to judge the situation ... We have only six months left ... Being able to play the piano brilliantly is ...

1 the idea of learning a new language. 2 to accomplish our task. 3 takes a lot of effort. 4 recreate alike. 5 you’re going to take the English exam. 6 just one of her many accomplishments. 7 because we don’t really know enough about it.

25. Complete the paragraph with the prepositions from the box.

of, in, for, from, to, by

Hobbies

A thing we do ___ our free time ___ recreation and pleasure is called a hobby. Hobbies are practiced ___ interest and enjoyment, rather than ___ money. What are hobbies ___ some people are professions ___ others: a game tester may enjoy cooking as a hobby, while a professional chef might enjoy playing computer games. Generally speaking, the person who does something ___ fun, not remuneration (оплата, вознаграждение), is called an amateur (or hobbyist), as distinct ___ a professional. Engaging ___ a hobby can lead ___ acquiring substantial skill, knowledge, and experience. A lot ___ celestial bodies (небесные тела) and events have been discovered ___ amateur astronomers. However, the aim ___ a hobby is pleasure and personal fulfillment.

While some hobbies strike many people as trivial or boring, hobbyists find something entertaining about them. In fact, anything can be a hobby, ___ collecting stamps and board games ___ doing extreme sports and making model airplanes.

READING