Vypracovala: PaedDr. Ivana Dulová
Free time after any work is called leisure time. It is the time for people to relax, time for fun and entertainment. Going to the cinema, parties, pubs and coffee bars are the most usual ways of spending free time.
Many people have a lot of leisure time. Some people spend their free time relaxing others working for example for charities or political parties. Many people spend their free time sitting at home in front of their TV, or reading newspapers, magazines, listening to music, playing computer games, surfing the internet or chatting with friends. Many adults spend their Saturdays or Sundays shopping at supermarkets and many young people meet friends at large shopping centres.
Free-time activities are different according to season. In summer, gardening is popular. Some people grow fruit and vegetables. Many men work around the house, build shelves, remodel their bathroom, etc. Many young men and boys like going to the local pond to play hockey.
Spring is time for „spring cleaning“ when many families wash windows and clean out cupboards. During the warm weather many children go skateboarding, rollerblading or cycling. Hiking, rock climbing and long walks in the woods, looking for mushrooms are also favourite free time activities. People like going to parks and zoos, or going to festivals and fairs. They like going to the mountains, woods or countryside.
Some of them spend their leisure time practising their hobbies. Traditional hobby is collecting objects, for example stamps, postcards, badges, coins, model cars, ships or planes and other things. It is a life-long hobby for many people. They often meet and exchange things they collect.
Some women like knitting and sewing in the evenings. Many people like going to the cinema, theatres or museums to see exhibitions of modern or classic art.
Families who live in large cities usually have ‚a day out‘ at the weekend when the weather is warm and lots of them have a countryside cottage.
Some free-time activities are animals. The most popular is having a dog. People enjoy taking them out for a walk. Not only dogs are popular but also cats, parrots and guinea-pigs. It is a very nice and also interesting hobby especially for children. They learn how to take care of them. British people like pets and also every family has a dog or a cat.
Lots of people like socializing. They like going out with friends for dinner or a drink after work. Sometimes they invite friends and they have parties. Fitness centres are also popular ways of spending free time and nowadays more and more people of all ages are concerned with their health and spend their leisure time doing exercises to keep themselves fit.
Another free time activity is reading and lots of people go to libraries. Some of them like reading their horoscope, doing crossword puzzles, reading about the latest scandals, cutting out various recipes or beauty tips.
For people who are not tired after work there is one more possibility: education. Thousands of people spend many hours every year learning foreign languages, like English, German, French, Spanish.
Bérešová, J. a kol.: Nová maturita z angličtiny, Aktuell, 2005
Silvanová, B.: Angličtna (pomôcka pre maturantov a uchádzačov o štúdium na vysokých školách), Enigma, 197