6.1 Warming up. Answer the questions:

1) Do you have any hobbies or interests? What are they?

2) How did you become interested in (hobby/ interest)?

3) What is there to do in your free time in your hometown/village?

4) How do you usually spend your holidays?

5) What new hobby you would like to take up in the future?

 

Exercise 6.1.1 Read and translate the text about different leisure activities and come up with the most suitable title for it

In this modern and busy life, we sometimes become overwhelmed with our duties and responsibilities. That’s why, sometimes, we need to have time for some leisure activities as it helps us reduce our stress and depression by allowing us to spend our time more wisely and efficiently. Besides, leisure activities provide us the chance to find a balance in our life, which is absolutely essential to ensure personal and professional satisfaction in our lives. Finally, leisure activities allow us to “recharge” our brains and bodies to face the next important challenges.

There are a number of leisure activities that are popular in my country. Activities, like playing different kinds of sports, watching movies, visiting café and restaurants in order to enjoy different kinds of food, going to sea beaches during the summertime, enjoying picnics at a beautiful natural site, watching TV, doing some gym activities, fishing and camping are enjoyed everybody regardless of their age. Activity, like visiting some beautiful places, depending on the time of the year, is also enjoyed by many people in my country. Then, of course, playing video games is also something which is hugely popular among the young generation.

Going to a movie theater in order to enjoy a newly-released movie, visiting different café and restaurants, watching TV, doing physical exercises, visiting families/relatives, playing different kinds of sports, visiting a local park nearby in order to get close to Mother Nature are some of the activities which are more popular than others.  And, the reason for them to be more popular than others is that they usually require lesser time and efforts.

No, as the time has changed, the popularities of different leisure activities have also changed. For example, when our parents were young, activities like watching TV/movies, visiting some popular café/restaurants and visiting families/relatives were more popular. But today, activities like visiting a gym nearby, shopping, and playing video games have grown equally popular because of technological advancements as well as increasing health and fashion awareness. Besides, people today, as opposed to the time of our young parents, want more from their lives, and as a result, they naturally tend to explore new forms of leisure activities.

I think that leisure activities, which involve the internet, computer, social media, and other kinds of modern technologies, are going to be more popular in the future. Besides, the activity like travelling to a distant yet beautiful and exciting land is going to be more popular in the future as well because it is becoming easier and easier to learn about those places, courtesy to satellite TV channels and the internet, which have literally brought the whole world into our bedrooms. 

In future, just like today, different kinds of leisure activities will help us in our future life by allowing us to have work-family life balance. In fact, if our present busy life is any indication, people are going to have a way more hectic and busy life schedules in the future, where the need for different leisure activities will be felt even more in order to enjoy some quality times with their families and friends, outside of their work-life, before they completely break down both physically and mentally.

 

Reference [9]

 

Exercise 6.1.2 Vocabulary: translate them:

1) overwhelmed;

2) essential;

3) ensure;

4) recharge;

5) equally;

6) regardless;

7) newly-released;

8) require;

9) advancement;

10) awareness;

11) indication;

12) hectic;

13) break down;

14) explore.

 

Exercise 6.1.3 Answer the questions:

1) Why it is important for people to have time for leisure activities?

2) What types of leisure activities are popular in your country?

3) Are the types of leisure activities that are popular today the same as those that were popular when your parents were young?

4) Why are some activities more popular than others in your country?

5) What types of leisure activities may become more popular in the future?

6) How can our leisure activities help us in our future life?

 

Exercise 6.1.4 Complete the list of kinds of leisure activities using information from the text: playing different kinds of sports, visiting some beautiful places, watching movies….

 

Exercise 6.1.5 Match the definitions (a–f) with the vocabulary (1–6):

1) leisure; 2) activity; 3) explore; 4) ensure; 5) hectic; 6) awareness; 7) overwhelmed; 8) advancement; 9) regardless; 10) indication.

a) be very busy; b) denotation; c) progress, success; d) be overworked; e) time that is free from work when you can do what you want; f) knowing or realizing something; g) independently of; h) make certain of, guarantee; j) examine a subject or idea carefully; k) an action or occupation.

 

Exercise 6.1.6 Are these sentences true or false? True/False

1) Leisure activities helps us reduce our stress and depression. T/F

2) The activity like travelling to a distant won’t be popular in the future as it will be replaced by other activities involving internet, computer, social media etc. T/F

3) Playing video games is very popular among the young generation. T/F

4) Today, activities like visiting a gym nearby is not as popular as playing video games. T/F

5) Leisure activities allow us to “recharge” our brains and bodies to face the next important challenges. T/F

 

Exercise 6.1.7 Using information from the text write down 3 or more advantages and disadvantages of different leisure activities:

Leisure activity:	Advantages:	Disadvantages:
1) playing computer games	1) requires a great deal of patience and focus from the player so video games may even increase players' attention capacities. 2) promotes the development of strategic thinking and planning skills. 3)	1) doesn’t require intelligence but rather some experience. 2) cause different health problems including scoliosis, myopia etc. 3)
2) travelling to a distant	1) improve people’s health 2)	1) require financial expenses 2)
3) visiting a gym
4) visiting café and restaurants
5) gardening

 

6.2 Read and translate the essay about student’s leisure time and academic pressure and say what reasons of this problem are given by the author

In some countries young people have little leisure time and are under pressure to work hard in their studies…

Nowadays, many teenagers and young adults around the world have to spend most of their time studying in order to get top grades, a university place and a good job. For this reason, there is often little time left for hobbies or socializing. This essay will examine several causes of this situation and propose some solutions.

One of the main causes is exams. These are stressful experiences and most students take a huge number of them during their school career. Exams can also be unfair, since the best grades are often not obtained by the most intelligent students but by those with the best memories. This is because many exams require students to learn facts by heart and then recite them in the exam room. Hundreds of precious hours spent memorizing things, but some experts in education think it could be better to learn how to apply the knowledge for some practical purpose. That is why some schools are considering alternative types of assessment such as projects or coursework. Not only are these more enjoyable and less stressful, they also de-emphasize memorization and allow students to demonstrate other skills, including creativity, independent learning and teamwork.

Another reason could be the demanding schedule that youngsters have nowadays. After a long day at school, students usually have several more hours of homework to do extra classes in the evening, which makes them constantly exhausted. In addition, studying while you are exhausted is unproductive. Students might sit in front of the book automatically making notes but not really taking anything in, or they might work very slowly and have lapses in concentration. To tackle this problem, students should plan regular breaks and, ideally take exercise outdoors. Although it seems illogical to suggest doing even more activity when their schedule is already full, in fact taking a break can refresh your body and mind. This will make you work faster and concentrate for longer, compared to studying while you are tired and only making slow progress.

To sum up, this problem is serious and widespread. The number of exams is one cause, and students’ busy schedules are another. However, if schools can switch to alternative forms of assessment and if students can organize their schedule well, they may be able to manage the pressure better and enjoy more free time. Therefore, both schools and students ought to take action to remedy the situation.

 

Reference [10]

 

Exercise 6.2.1 Vocabulary: translate them:

1) cause – причина, повод, дело;

2) obtained – получать, доставать, приобретать;

3) require – испытывать необходимость, требовать;

4) recite – излагать, повторять наизусть;

5)  precious – драгоценный, дорогой, ценный;

6) assessment – суждение, оценка;

7) de-emphasize – преуменьшать роль, уменьшать, ослаблять;

8) demanding – требующий больших усилий, трудный, затратный;

9) exhausted – изнуренный, обессиленный, выдохшийся;

10) lapse – провал, потеря, упущение;

11) schedule – график, режим, расписание;

12) tackle – энергично браться за что-либо, биться, прорабатывать;

13) widespread – широко распространенный, масштабный;

14) remedy – исправить, устранить, ликвидировать.

 

Exercise 6.2.2 Match the synonyms:

1) cause – rectify;

2) obtain – timetable;

3) assessment – downplay the role;

4) exhausted – valuable;

5) widespread – toilsome;

6) lapse – need;

7) remedy –extended;

8) precious – too tired;

9) tackle – assail;

10) demanding – reason;

11) schedule – get;

12) recite – rehearse;

13) require – omission;

14) de-emphasize – estimation.

 

Exercise 6.2.3 Fill in the gaps with a proper linking phrase below. There are phrases for giving a reason, result or purpose:

Since, in order to, that is why, as a result, so as, due to, which means that, so that

 

1) There are extra revision sessions ____ students can get help if they need it;

2) Pollution is getting worse and worse, _____ there is a need for the government to take action and remedy the situation;

3) University fees have increased this year _____ , there are fewer students;

4) The term should be reduced by two weeks ____ allow more time for holidays;

5) Scholarships have been introduced ____  to attract more applicants;

6) There has been a lot of heavy rain this year, and more is expected. _____the government should spend more on flood protection;

7) _____  popular demand, the train timetable will be extended;

8) _____ there is a lot of competition for university places, most students find their final exams stressful.

 

Exercise 6.2.4 Discussion. Read some statements about leisure time and academic pressure and say if you agree or disagree with them. Support your answer with the reasonable arguments:

1) Exams are stressful experiences for students;

2) Often, the best grades are not obtained by the most intelligent students but by those with the best memories;

3) Such types of assessment as projects or coursework are more effective than exams requiring only memorizing things;

4) Studying while you are exhausted is unproductive;

5) The effectiveness of work mostly depends on how well student can organize his schedule.