Spending free time

Vocabulary 1

free time/ spare time – свободное время

to spend (spent, spent) one’s free time – проводить свое свободное время

frankly speaking – откровенно говоря

day-off – выходной

brunch – поздний завтрак (например, в выходной)

fascinating – увлекательный

to be a huge fan – увлекаться, быть фанатом чего-то

soap (-opera) – мыльная опера, сериал (syn. series, serial)

episode – серия (сериала)

circus - цирк

the Zoo – зоопарк

performance – представление, сеанс (в кинотеатре)

evening performance/ matinee (for theatres) – вечерний/дневной спектакль

to be on – идти (о фильме в кинотеатре или спектакле в театре)

to be fond of – любить

to book tickets in advance – бронировать билеты заранее

I’d prefer to do…/I’d rather do… – я бы предпочел сделать, я б скорее сделал…

to go skiing, to go skating, to go shopping – пойти кататься на лыжах, коньках, по магазинам

to watch TV – смотреть телевизор

to invite smb – приглашать кого-то

viewers/spectators – зрители

My Day-Off

a) Before reading answer the questions:

Does a student in Russia have a lot of free time? When do you have your days-off?

What is your favourite occupation for a day-off?

Make up sentences with ing-verbs on the models:

I like… (doing smth)/ My favourite occupation is … (doing smth)

b) Read what a student named Daniel tells about his way to spend free time.

Frankly speakingI do not usually have much of free time because I am a third-year student of a full-time department at the university now and have a lot to do for my classes. Besides I have to combine study with work – I am working as a technician in a small record-company in the evening after classes. So I am more or less free only in the week-ends.

On a day-offI like getting up at round about afternoon – a rare pleasure for me usually. So, I get up, have something tasty forbrunch, watch a bit of TV – my favourites are programmes on some topics connected with science – like those on BBC Discovery or the like. I like Myth Busters for example – they always tell about something scientific in an unusual and funny way, like why we shouldn’t cook eggs in the microwave oven – it’s veryfascinating. I also like watching films – an action or adventure or a detective story.I am not a huge fan of soaps, but I usually watch with pleasure such series as “House M.D.” for example. Closer to the evening I usually go to see my friends and we decide what to do next. Sometimes when thereissome new blockbusteron, we can go to the cinema.

I have a small sister, she is too small to share most of my interests, but sometimes I take her to the Zoo, she likes to watch animals, or to acircus– she is a huge fan of watching the clowns of all sorts and trained doggies or cats. I personally also like circus but I preferperformancesof gymnasts and horse-riders – when I was at school my parents sometimes took me to the country where we rode horses. I liked that very much. Sometimes we can go to the theatre or to the opera-house or to a concert of classical music which my parentsare very fond of– they usuallybook tickets in advance, prepare nice clothes and make me also to wear something more formal than my usual jeans and a t-shirt.

c) In his story Daniel uses the word “like” in different meanings. Find sentences with this word and translate them. Make up your own sentences with this word in different meanings.

d) Use the words from the box in the sentences of your own:

frankly speaking honestly to tell the truth if you ask

me personally

Model:To tell you the truth, I am not a huge fan of soaps.

e) Make up a plan of the text.

f) Make up some questions to the text of different types. Ask your partner to answer them using the information given by Daniel in the text.

g) What about you? Think what you can tell about your usual day-off: how you spend it, where you go, who you invite to go with you. Discuss with your partner your views on a perfect day-off.