What are
they doing?

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, goes an English saying. Recreation and entertainment are important to people everywhere in the world. However, forms of popular entertainment are different in different countries.
In Britain, the most common leisure activities are home based. Watching television is by far the most popular pastime, and nearly all households have a television set. Over 51 percent of households have two or more television sets and average viewing time for the population aged four and over is 25 hours a week. Other pursuits include listening to music, reading, do-it-yourself home improvements, and gardening.
British people are also very interested in watching and taking part in sports. Walking and swimming are the two most popular sporting activities, being almost equally undertaken be men and women. Snookers, pool and darts are the next most popular sports among men. The most popular spectator sports are football and rugby in winter, and cricket and athletics in summer.
In the last few years in Britain, a new trend has been developing, i.e., taking weekend or holiday courses. There is a enormous range of courses on offer. The course can be as simple as bricklaying or as sophisticated as making your own stock market decisions. For people who are interested in art, there are courses in painting or drawing. People who like music can take a course in karaoke singing. Courses like shoemaking or glass engraving provide people with practical skills they can do with hands. Those who want to improve their minds can take a course of “Living with more meaning”. Entry qualifications to weekend courses are generous, that is, generally no qualifications are necessary, apart from an ability to pay the fees, which may be quite high.


NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
-Leisure (n): giải trí, thời gian rãnh
Ex: In her leisure time, she visits museums and galleries.
-Recreation (n): thú tiêu khiển
-Household (n): hộ gia đình
-Average( n): trung bình
Ex: The average of 3, 8 and 10 is 7.
-Pursue (v):Pursuit (n): sở thích
Ex: My pursuits include listening to music, reading, and gardening.
-Undertake (v) :(undertook – undertaken)tham gia
-Sophisticated (a):phức tạp
Ex: a play that will only appeal to sophisticated audience.
Entry qualification (n.p): entry procedures
-trend (n): xu hướng
-stock market (n) : thị trường chứng khoáng
Task 1:
1.The activities are home based. They are organised .......
A. at home
B. outdoors
C. In the basement of the house.

2. Television viewing is by far the most popular pastime. This mean .......
A. People have to go very far to watch television.
B. television viewing is much more popular than any other pastime.
C. television viewing is as popular as other pastime.

3. There are many different courses on offer. This means .......
A. there are many different courses on television.
B. there are many different courses to be taken.
C. there are many different courses that teach people to make offers.


4.Besides watching television, people have other pursuits. This means........
A. besides watching television, people have other leisure activities.
B. besides watching television, people have to work.
C. besides watching television, people don’t enjoy anything else.

5. Spectator sports are..............
A. sports people take part in
B. sports people often watch
C. beautiful sports.

6. Entry qualifications are ...........
A. necessary conditions for being admitted to the course.
B. ability to pay the fees.
C. entry examinations.


Task 2:
Why are recreation and entertainment important to people?

Because without them people will become dull/bored.

2. What sports do the British like watching?

Football and rugby in winter; cricket and athletics in summer.

3. What sports do they like taking part in?

Walking and swimming.

4. Why do many British people take weekend courses?

Because this is a new kind of entertainment which gives them pleasure
-Campgrounds [‘kæmpgraund]: khu đất cắm trại
- Waterfall [`wɔ:təfɔ:l] thác nước
-Trash [træ∫]: bã; bã mía (như) cane-trash, cành cây tỉa bớt
-Depressed [di`prest]: chán nản, thất vọng, ngã lòng; buồn phiền
-Wilderness [`wildənis]: vùng hoang vu; vùng hoang dã; vùng bỏ hoang
-Dirt bike [də:t baik]: xe bẩn
-Giant trees [`dʒaiəntis]: người đàn bà khổng lồ
-Solitude [`sɔlitju:d]: tình trạng ở một mình không có bạn bè; trạng thái cô độc
Tappescript
Three American student are taking about how they would like to spend their summer holiday.
Anna: It’s hot and humid in New York City in the summer and I often feel deprssed then. So in July and August I often go out of the city to the west where there are som beautiful national parks and forest. I often go with my friends, and we spend about two weeks in a natinal parks every year. We my stay at campgrounds in the park, but wilderness areas are more fun. What we enjoy most is to ride our dirt bike in the desert, take showers in waterfalls and swim in lakes and rivers. And at night we sleep in our sleeping bags or tents and cook on our gas stove. It’s wonderful that we can live in nature and enjoy it.
Terry: I used to go to the mountains, the desert, and other places with spectacular scenery in summer. I don’t any more although I’m still attracted to the beauty of nature. But I do think these natural places aren’t as beautiful as they used to be. Now more and more people are going to these places. They live trash in the forests, and take rocks and plants with them. They don’t care about nature. I believe not only people are important to the world – nature is important, too.
Mary: Like most other people I’m very fond of natural spectacular scenery, but when I travel, I spend most of my time in cities. Why I don’t want to live in nature and enjoy it? It’s the solitude of the wilderness. It’s for animals and plants, not for me. I hate camping, too. I can’t put up an umbrella tent in the wind, I can’t make a fire in the rain, and a backpack is usually too haevy for me. So I’d better stay in the cities and enjoy the comfort they offer.
Task 1:

Anna doesn’t like summer weather

Anna usually spends two weeks in a natinal park every summer

Terry has never been to the mountains or the desert in summer

Terry is attracted to the beauty of nature

Mary likes the solitude of the wilderness

Mary enjoys the comfortable life in the cities

T F
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Task 2:
What activities do Anna and her friends enjoy doing most in the national park?

They enjoy riding their dirt bike in the desert, taking showers in waterfalls and swimming in lakes and rivers

2.Whre can they sleep?

They can sleep in sleeping bags or tents

3.According to Terry, why aren’t the natural places as beautiful as they used to be?

Because more and more people are coming to these places and live trash in the forests, and take rocks and plants with them

4.What does Terry think is also very important to the world?

He thinks nature is also important in the world
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