Categories
Speaking

Hobbies

CD1 Track 51

What are your hobbies?
What is your favourite musical instrument?
Do you prefer action films or comedies? Why?
Do you think it is important to read novels and poetry? Why?

What are your hobbies?
There is no one thing I’m fanatical about. I have various interests. I’m a keen cook and love to create new dishes and then invite my friends over to taste them. I love playing cards, especially Uno. Most of my friends are crazy about karaoke and I go with them from time to time but it’s not really my kind of thing.

What is your favourite musical instrument?
What is my favourite instrument? I would have to say the piano. I’m not a big classical music fan on the whole but I do love a bit of piano. It’s the emotion it can express that fascinates me, the way man and instrument become one and the pianist gets lost in the music.

Do you prefer action films or comedies?
Neither really. If I had to choose between them I’d pick comedies, but what I really like is horror films, especially those involving ghosts. I enjoy getting a good fright.

Do you think it is important to read novels and poetry?
Well, my teachers always told me it is. But reading, I can take it or leave it. I can’t remember the last time I picked up a real page-turner. I don’t think it’s important to read. You can be entertained by films and you can be educated via the television, watching documentaries and so on. So, I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything.

CD1 Track 52

One of my favourite hobbies is going shopping . I’ve always loved it. I think I get it from my mum, who used to take me to the nearest town every weekend to visit shops and boutiques. She taught me about buying a few quality items that you may pay a premium for but that last a long time so are a good investment. She also taught me about how to check
for the quality of a garment by looking at the way it’s sewn together and also creasing the fabric to see if it stays creased or not. If it stays creased then it’s a poor quality fabric. Another thing I learnt from her is how to find a bargain. You need to shop around and not be afraid of trying the smaller boutiques where you’re more likely to find a shop owner who’s happy to offer a discount. I’ve been shopping on my own since I was a student. Then, I could not afford to buy many things but stuck to what my mum taught me and kept my eyes open for a quality bargain. The rest of the time, I would window shop. Nowadays I can afford designer clothes but I still love the sales, when I hunt for a bargain and the odd top-designer item. One thing I hate, however, is trying things on because there are always long queues and it means you have less time for shopping. It’s not a problem, not trying things on, because if something is not the right size I can take it back to the shop as long as I’ve kept the receipt. I go shopping every week. I find it therapeutic. It always makes you feel good to get your hands on a nice quality piece at a bargain price, and if I’m feeling a bit down there’s nothing like a bit of retail therapy. I find shopping exciting as well. You spend time in the poshest part of town where you can mix with fashionable people. There’s a buzz and it’s busy and noisy and colorful. Shopping lets you keep up to speed with the latest trends. So all in all, I think it has a lot of benefits and I love it.

What’s the best bargain you’ve ever got?
I once bought a designer coat, 100% cashmere, absolutely beautiful, for 25% of the full price. It was in a closing-down sale.

CD2 Track 1

1- How long have you lived here?
2- Have you ever eaten Italian food?
3- What has happened in the news today?
4- What have you done so far today?

CD2 Track 2

1- I’ve played the clarinet since I was a child. OR I’ve been playing the clarinet since I was a child.
2- I’ve only been scuba-diving twice.
3- I’ve known her for three and a half years.
4- I’ve read your book. You can have it back now.
5- I’ve been watching TV all morning. I’m so lazy!

CD2 Track 3

1- How long have you been doing your favourite hobby?

2- How many times have you engaged in your hobby this week, or this year?

3- Have you had less time for your hobby since you started studying for IELTS?

CD2 Track 4

Do you think men and women tend to have different types of hobbies?

Why do some people get obsessed with their hobby?

Do you think hobbies that keep you fit are better than hobbies that you can do sitting down?

Do you think it can be a disadvantage to have too much free
time?

Should people feel a duty to do something constructive in their free time?

Do people have more free time now than in the past?

Do you think men and women tend to have different types of hobbies?
Yes, I do. The men I know have sports as hobbies. The women usually enjoy more sedentary and peaceful hobbies, like reading or crafts. Having said that, there are of course women who love exhilarating hobbies or are fanatical about cycling or something. And there are
men who take up pottery or sewing. There are always exceptions to every rule.

Why do some people get obsessed with their hobby?
I think everybody finds at least one thing absolutely fascinating. It can be anything – subjects like history of art, or a sport like basketball, or a craft like card-making. Everyone is different and one person’s interest can appear strange to other people. However, not everyone has time to indulge themselves with their hobby. Mothers of young children, for
example, get little free time and so they appear less ‘obsessed ‘ than a single man who spends every weekend, all weekend playing computer games.

Do you think hobbies that keep you fit are better than hobbies that you can do sitting down?
No, I think hobbies that open you up to new things are the best, ones that enrich you and give you a new skill. That can be anything, but it is important always to grow as a person and not become boring by never trying anything new.

Do you think it can be a disadvantage to have too much free time?
Well, they say that the devil makes work for idle hands and I think it’s true that the less you have to do the less active you become and the more time you waste. People who have too much time to spare tend to become lazy and lethargic. People who are always on the go, on the other hand, think nothing of fitting one more thing into their busy schedules.

Should people feel a duty to do something constructive in their free time?
No, not necessarily. Everyone deserves some downtime. Modern life is stressful and hectic and so we need times when we let go of our responsibilities and just do something fun. We can still draw benefits from hobbies that are not generally considered constructive – for example, we can develop our abilities to work in teams by doing team sports, and we can increase our attention spans by reading a novel with long chapters!

Do people have more free time now than in the past?
It’s a strange irony that although we now have so many labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers, we feel we have less free time. Many of my acquaintances are always complaining that they are too busy. But actually I think our ancestors had less free time than us. The average worker hardly ever got any time off and worked six or seven days a week.

CD2 Tracks 05-09

See pages 62-63 for text.

CD2 Track 10

I’m afraid I don’t know what ‘recreation‘ means.

VOCABULARY

Direct link to the Game

Reference: Collins Speaking for IELTS

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