Consult a dictionary and write the following literary genres in phonetic transcription.

comedy historical novels psychological novels

crime fiction legend science fiction

detective stories love story sea stories

fairy tales mystery short stories

fantasy myths thrillers

1.3 Practise the pronunciation of the - ing form in the names of hobbies.

boating fencing skiing

body building figure skating skydiving

bowling power lifting sledding

camping rowing snowboarding

hiking sailing hunting

cycling shooting wrestling

diving skateboarding speed skating

2.1 Leisure Time

Nowadays people work all day long and rarely have spare time to rest and to do something they like. But when time allows they try to occupy their precious leisure time with the pursuit they prefer. A favourite occupation of a person in his free time is his hobby. At present it’s even hard to name all the activities, entertainments and hobbies that people run in their free time. There are a lot of things to do that can help you not to feel bored.

Many people prefer to go in for different kinds of sports and lead an active way of life. But most of them are amateurs and do sport just for fun, for exercise and to keep fit. Aerobics is one of the most popular sporting pursuits for women. Many men like to go to the stadium and to cheer for their favourite team there. But a growing number of people prefer watching sporting events on TV to attending them.

Watching TV is, by the way, a very popular pursuit that people choose to pass away their free time. Stay-at-home persons spend day and night watching different informational, educational and sports programs or an endless number of soaps.

Nowadays the perfect way to spend free time is listening to music. People’s musical interests range from pop and rock music, which are extremely popular at present, especially among young people, to classical music and opera. Very often a person is so tired that he can’t move any longer and his brains need some time to relax. In this case he may switch on his CD-player or mini-system with favorite music. Some people like to have background music while they are working. Many teenagers have pop idols that attract them by their voice or appearance and drive them crazy to such an extent that they are ready to follow them to the ends of the earth. Many music fans join various fan groups and network with other enthusiasts of this hobby with whom they share their interests.

Other popular occupations are visiting museums, art galleries and going to the theater or cinema. Shopping and cooking are widespread among women. A great number of men are mad about their cars or motorbikes. They spend their Saturdays and Sundays washing them, painting them or buying new bits and pieces to make them go even faster. Fishing is also very popular among stronger sex.

An interesting and useful pastime is doing crossword puzzles. It trains your brain. Those who are keen on this activity sometimes try to make up their own puzzles, which is not less interesting.

Reading books, papers and magazines is also a way of spending leisure time. You can choose a genre according to your mood and read whatever you want. From magazines and papers you know the latest news in the world of politics, fashion, cooking, technology, etc. But technology is developing so fast that this way of getting information is being gradually replaced by the other one. Nowadays a great number of people spend a lot of time in World Wide Web getting information there. Moreover the Internet is a way of communicating with people. And people all over the world sit at the computers chatting or exploring the Internet all day long. Both grown-ups and children are fond of playing different computer games. This is a relatively new hobby but it is becoming more and more popular.

But some people prefer to go to a country to breathe fresh air or to travel somewhere. People like to visit other places to escape from daily routine and discover new things that they can never see or learn at home.

There are a lot of hobbies dealing with making things. They include drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, handicrafts or DIY and others.

Collecting things is also an activity that many people fix as a hobby. Almost everyone collects something at some period of his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches and other things. People with a good deal of money often collect paintings, rare books and other art objects. In this case it is a rather expensive activity.

But there exists quite a different sort of leisure activities, betting and gambling for example, which give thousands of people hope for a huge prize, arouse a sense of excitement, a consuming passion and intention to make money from the hobby. That sort of consuming passion may lead to a trouble and it is wise to put those hobbies down as soon as possible.

2.2 Find the term DIY in the text, look through its definition and give the Russian definition of this term:

Do it yourself (or DIY) is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals. It is also used to describe crafts such as knitting, sewing, handmade jewelry, ceramics, etc.

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