My hobby

Before reading the text translate the following phrases into Russian:

Comparatively slow pace, three times a week, to play the guitar, to work out the meaning, to use a dictionary, to choose the profession, to win a victory, a thrilling hobby, flashing lights, inside, other devices, another similarity, fairly cool, it's hard to say, for fans like me, any person alive, complicated problems, whole room, regional competition.

There are different hobbies in the world. The most popular one is music. In the evening you may play the guitar. That would be nice. Or you may be interested in reading. It is very exciting, especially when you read the book in the orig­inal. You try to understand the meaning of new words from the contents, if you can. But sometimes this isn't pos­sible. Then you use a dictio­nary... Travelling is a thrill­ing hobby, isn't it? When it is fairly cool in London or Madrid you may go to your coun­try-house not far from Repino. You may ask me what I am driving at... I don't know whether you will like my hobby. For someone it's a hard work which takes a lot of time and skills. For me it's an inte­resting spare time work. I mean a computer. What is a computer? For fans like me it's a very specific kind of a counting machine. It can do arithmetic problems faster than any person alive. By means of electric circuit it can find the answer to a very difficult and complicated prob­lem in a few seconds. A computer can "remember" infor­mation you give to it. It stores the information in its "memory" as long as it is necessary. We used to think of a computer as a large machine with many buttons and flashing lights that took up a whole room. But today computers are becoming smaller and smaller and are even being put inside other devices.

I am interested in the history of computers. The facts prove that until 1940, developments in electronics took place at a comparatively slow pace. In 1955 computers began to use transis­tors. In that year IBM company mar­keted a great number of computers with this new device. Now I know a lot about com­puters. I began collecting this information at school, then I decided to take a training programme. I have my computer lessons three times a week. Our group has been, working for two years and we have taken part in the regional competitions. So, you can imagine our happiness when our team won a victory over a very skilled team from Odessa.

I believe that my hobby will become my future pro­fession. The types of computers available are as different as the types of musical instruments or books you read, or stamps you collect. But there is another similarity between learning to play the musical instrument and learning to use the computer - you must practise every day.

I don't know what my friend is going to be after finishing school. He may choose the profession of a doc­tor, a policeman or a driver. I am certain that everybody realizes the necessity of using computers in different" jobs and situations. That is why I want to connect my future profession with computers.

Exercises

1. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the most popular hobby in the world?

2. Do you like to read the books in the original?

3. Where can you travel to?

4. What is a computer?

5. Is it a specific counting machine?

6. What does the history of computers prove?

7. Why do you need the training course?

8. Will your hobby become your future profession?

9. Why does everybody need computers nowadays?

2. Chose the right word from the list:

1. If you cannot work o... the m... of new words from the content you may use a dictionary.

2. Computer is a very s... kind of c... machine for f... like me.

3. Computer can find the answer to very c... problems by means of electric c...

4. It can do a... p... faster than any other person a...

5. Computer is not a large machine with many b... and f... lights now.

6. Today computers are becoming smaller and are even being put inside other d...

7. In late 50-s computers began to use t...

8. Our computer group took part in the r... c...

9. There is a s... between learning computers and music.

10. You must practise e... d...

(flashing, arithmetic, alive, competition, fans, meaning, devices, circuit, problems, buttons, regional, every day, similarity, specific, complicated, transistors, out, counting)

3. Find the English equivalents to the following:

Понять необходимость, пользоваться компьюте­ром, после окончания школы, решить поступить на курсы, победить очень сильную команду, вспыхивающие лампочки, развитие электроники, срав­нительно медленными темпами, если позволяет содер­жание, хранить информацию в своей памяти, иногда это невозможно, интересное времяпровождение, внут­ри других устройств.

4. Agree or disagree

1. There are many different types of computers.

2. Computer is my spare time hobby. Computer will become my future profession.

4. Computers began to be used in late 30s of our century.

5. Transistors have always been used in computers.

6. Flashing lamps allow computers to remember and store much information.

7. Learning computers is not a complicated affair for fans.

8. I decided to take the training course because it's very interesting.

9. We have our computer classes twice a week.

10. I am sure that doctors, drivers, policemen can use computers in their work.

5. Ask your partner in English:

1. Кто быстрее решает сложные арифметические задачи - компьютер или человек?

2. Зачем человеку нужен компьютер?

3. Почему ты так интересуешься компьютером?

4. Что помогает тебе узнать компьютер лучше?

5. Какие еще увлечения популярны среди молодежи?

6. Что общего в изучении компьютера и музыкально­го инструмента?

7. Как часто ты работаешь с компьютером?

8. Каких успехов ты достиг?

9. Станет ли компьютер твоей будущей профессией?

10. Что ты узнал об истории компьютера?

6. Fill in the gaps with the suitable prepositions

1. I am interested ... the history ... computers.

2. ... 1955 IBM company marketed a great number ... computers ... new device.

3. ... 1940 developments ... electronics took place ... a comparatively slow pace.

4. What you are driving ... ?

5. Computer can find the answer ... a very difficult and complicated problem ... means ... electric circuit.

6. Computer stores the information ... its memory ... as long as it is necessary.

7. Our team won a victory over ... a very skilled team ... Odessa.

8. There is another similarity ... trying to learn to play ... musical instrument and trying to learn to use the computer - you must practise ... a daily basis.

9. ... the evening you may play ... the guitar ... band.

10. You can read the book ... the original.

7. Speak about your hobby.

Supplementary exercises.

1. TV is one of the most popular hob­bies. The following questions will help to understand your likes and dislikes.

Discuss in group:

- How long do you watch TV every day?

- Which programmes do you always watch, or never watch?

- What types of films do you like?

- What's the best/worst film you have seen recently, either at the cinema or on TV?

- What is your favourite TV programme? Is TV your hobby?

2. Try to guess what programmes are these extracts taken from?

A: Look at this oak tree, for example. The leaves should be green, but they are turning yellow.

B: The Prime Minister of Canada arrived in London today.

C: OK, blue eyes, you're under arrest for the murder of Mrs. Kelly.

D: Tomorrow it will be cloudy in the South with rain spreading from the west late

3. Puzzles and crosswords are other kinds of hobbies. Here's a crossword for you.

Across 1. First,........third. 3. The day between Thursday and Saturday. 6. As far as you can see. 7. Not cold, but not hot. 9. N2S04 = sulphuric....... 12. The opposite of thin. 14. The past participle of fall. 15. This means the same as not allowed. 17. There's a ghost in this house. It's....... 19. Frequently means the………as often 20. You drive a car, you fly a plane, you ....... a ship. 21. This is between your hand and your arm.

22. Brazil is famous for this drink. 24. A shape with four equal sides. 25. The past tense of think. 26. Gold, iron, and copper are all.......s. 29. A place where you will see a lot of graves. 31. Someone who studies the stars and planets. 33. The diameter crosses the ....... of a circle. 36. If you are away from home, you might feel....... 37. Someone who lives near you. 38........, south, east, west. 40. The past tense of do.

Down 1. Past participle of see. 2. The past tense of this verb is drank. 3. A kind of tree. 4. The opposite of good. 5. The opposite of negative. 7. You keep your money in this. 8. There are twelve of these in the year. 10. Athens is the ....... of Greece. 11. London has a.......of 7.5 million. 12. Kate is shorter than John. So John is ....... than Kate. 13. 25th December is ....... Day. 16. Not guilty.

18. The opposite of upstairs. 23. 3+7=10 means three plus seven ....... ten. 24. You carry someone who has broken the leg on this. 26. The fifth month of the year. 27. A place where criminals are sent. 28. You put a plug in this. 30. You have one of these on each side of your head. 32. The singular of children. 34. The opposite of day. 35. I was ....... in 1969. Are you older than me? 39. I wasn't at school yesterday, because I ....... a cold.

Upper-Intermediate Level

From the History of Hobby

Before reading the text find Russian equivalents to the following:

hobby-horses, obsession, to act out, wickerwork, recreation, reward, tinkering, remuneration, amateur, contribution, to pursue a hobby, celestial body, train spotting, venture, germ, aircraft, pottery, sewing, breeding, alpaca, homemade, scrapper,

A hobby is an activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure or relaxation in one's spare time.

Etymology

In the 18th-century novel The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, the characters' hobby-horses, or particular obsessions, are discussed in detail. Here, Uncle Toby's obsession with the military leads to him and Trim - who gets caught up in Toby's enthusiasm - to begin acting out military actions.

A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse (which was sometimes called a "Hobby"). From this came the expression "to ride one's hobby-horse", meaning "to follow a favorite pastime", and in turn, hobby in the modern sense of recreation. Hobbies are practiced for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial reward. Examples include collecting, creative and artistic pursuits, making, tinkering, sports and adult education. Engaging in a hobby can lead to acquiring substantial skill, knowledge and experience. However, personal fulfillment is the aim.

What are hobbies for some people are professions for others: a chef may enjoy playing computer games as a hobby, while a professional game tester might enjoy cooking. Generally speaking, the person who does something for fun, not remuneration, is called an amateur (or hobbyist), as distinct from a professional.

An important determinant of what is considered a hobby, as distinct from a profession, is probably how easy it is to make a living at the activity. Almost no one can make a living at cigarette card or stamp collecting, but many people find it enjoyable; so it is commonly regarded as a hobby.

Amateur astronomers often make meaningful contributions to the professionals. It is not entirely uncommon for a hobbyist to be the first to discover a celestial body or event. In the UK, the pejorative noun anorak (similar to the Japanese "otaku", meaning a geek or enthusiast) is often applied to people who obsessively pursue a particular hobby that is otherwise considered boring, such as train spotting or stamp collecting.

Development of hobbies into other ventures

Whilst some hobbies strike many people as trivial or boring, hobbyists have found something compelling and entertaining about them. Much early scientific research was, in effect, a hobby of the wealthy; more recently, Linux began as a student's hobby. A hobby may not be as trivial as it appears at a time when it has relatively few followers. Thus a British conservationist recalls that when seen wearing field glasses at a London station in the 1930s he was asked if he was going to the (horse) races. The anecdote indicates that at the time an interest in nature was not widely perceived as a credible hobby. Practitioners of that hobby went on to become the germs of the conservation movement that flourished in Britain from 1965 onwards and became a global political movement within a generation. Conversely, the hobby of aircraft spotting probably originated as part of a serious activity designed to detect arriving waves of enemy aircraft entering English airspace during World War II. In peacetime it usually has no such practical or social purpose.

Developing a Hobby Into Hobby Business

It is easier to turn a Hobby Business into a money making opportunity because the driver is passion and to some degree obsession. Turning your passion into a business say for example in arts and crafts, a home studio is all you need; a space to be creative. Gift shops, specialty stores, galleries and arts cafes are the best avenues to exhibit and sell artworks, pottery, woodcraft, sewing craft.

Another example of Hobby Business is a hobby farm. Breeding alpacas is very popular among early retirees as is the old fashioned hobby of preserving and pickling. Homemade, specialty foods, such as, puddings, preserves and sauces are taking over in popularity over the more mainstream commercial varieties, because of the trending attitude to buy organic especially if they are homemade produce grown from the manufacturer's own farm. Scrapbooking is a modern profitable hobby. Known as scrappers, these hobbyists, have created a new industry from their passion. Scrapbooking websites are growing and thriving worldwide.

Exercises