The Use of Leisure

By the way in which a man uses his leisure his character can be told more surely in all probability than by the way he does his work. For most men work is necessity in order to gain a living. Vast numbers of men have not even been able to choose what work they would do, but have been forced by economic necessity to take the first job that came their way. But in their leisure time they do what they really want to do and their real selves are reflected in their actions.

Some people are completely passive during leisure hours. If such people go out they go to some place of entertainment where no effort is required by them, a cinema or a dancing hall, and if the latter, they do not dance but simply sit and watch others dancing.

A different type of person hurries home from work full of eagerness to begin on some scheme which he has been planning for his leisure time. Perhaps his hobby is carpentry or model engineering, or gardening-, or he might wish to write, or to study some subject in which he is interested..This is the creative type of character. For him, his leisure hours are full of promise and he can look back on them with satisfaction when he reviews what he has achieved in them.

Leisure should be refreshment; it should send a man out with fresh spirits to battle with the problems of life. Sometimes this freshness comes not from doing anything, but by filling one's mind with fresh springs of duty. Many a man gets full value from his leisure by contemplating nature, listening to music, or reading noble books. By this sort of occupation he may not have made anything that he can show, but he has none the less recreated his own source of inspiration and made his own mind a richer fuller treasure house. This is the true use of leisure.

Topical vocabulary

1. go out проводить время вне

2. treasure сокровище

3. film(picture, movie) кинофильм

4. adventure приключенческий фильм

5. favourite occupation любимое занятие

6. hobby хобби

7. feature художественный фильм

8. enjoy oneself,(have a good time) хорошо провести время

enjoy (a party, a play etc) получить удовольствие от...

9. be on идти (о пьесе, фильме в определенный день)

10. run (v) демонстрировать, показывать (фильм,пьесу)

11. run (n) период показа (пьесы, фильма)

12. poster (AmE: bill-board) афиша

13.news – real хроника, киножурнал

14. ballet балет

15. opera опера

16.drama драма

17.tragedy трагедия

18.show представление, сеанс

Ex.1.Suggest the Russian for:

By the way; probability; no effort; fresh springs of duty; go out; to gain a living; in which he is interested; vast numbers of men; have been forced by economic necessity; to run; to take the first job; their real selves; completely passive; the latter; to be on; a different type of person; own mind; full of eagerness; feature; to begin on some scheme; the creative type of character; full of promise; satisfaction; refreshment; adventure; with fresh spirits; to battle with the problems of life; full value from his leisure; place of entertainment; by contemplating nature; own source of inspiration; treasure house; the true use of leisure, favourite occupation; tragedy;