中级英语听力教程：Lesson20TellUsAboutYourHobbies

1、中级英语听力教程：Lesson 20 Tell Us About Your HobbiesTell Us About Your HobbiesText AJOHN:What I like most, I suppose, is the fact that it's so unusual. I mean,when Itell people what I do,they just look at me usually as if I'm mad.Maybe I am, anyway what I do is this. I get up about a quarter past s

2、ix every morning.I leave my wife in bed because she's not as mad as me - and I put my trunks on under under tracksuit and drive down tothe park with my clothes in a case. It only takes about five minutes .becausethere's no traffic of course at that time in the morning. So, when I get thereI

3、leave the car in the car park and run round a bit.I usually run for about ten minutes till I'm nice and warm, then comes the interesting bit. I run over to the car,get my case and then over to the pool. I take my tracksuit off and -inI jump. It's pretty cold I can tell you especially in the

4、middle of winter-butI do a coupte of quick lengths and then I climb out, get changed and drive home, I just get back in time for breakfast - and Inormally feel I've earnedit too.JACK:Well, it's very detailed work you see, but I find it very relaxing. It'sstrange I suppose that something

5、like this where you have to concentrate a lot can be relaxing ing, but you see in my job I'm always making decisions and telling people whatto do but I never actuplly see what I've done. This is completely different.You see, here I'm actually making something myself. I start with a kite,

6、 usually it's got all the basic materials in it. Then you have to cut out all the shapes from the wood and stick them together. When you've made theframe,the wings and the fuselage, that is, you cover them with special paper andpaint. Of course if it's goingto fly properly, everything ha

7、s to be properly balanced, you know. I must sayreally though. I think I enjoy actaually making them more than flying them.JANE:Well in a sense I suppose I do it to save money. I mean things are soincredibly .expensive in the shops nowadays days, aren't they? But that's notthe only reason rea

8、llyNo, the beautiful thing is that you can make what you want when you want-and inmaterial you've chosen. I mean you don't have to depend on some paris designerto say what is fashionable. If you like an idea you see then of course youcan copy it , but it gives you much more independence to d

9、o it yourself.I mean obviously it takes time , but I enjoy it , and with a sewing machineit doesn't take all that long to make even quitecomplicated things. Andthenfinally you know that you've got something really unique. Especially if it'ssomething you've designed yourself.HARRY:Wel

10、l, it gives me the chance to be alone-and for me that's really themost Itimportant thing I suppose,after being with crowds of people all week.gives you time to think, you know. And another thing is that it gets meout of doors. I suppose it isn't very energetic really after all. I mean youdon

11、't do very much except just sit there, but at least it's in the fresh air.And that's more than you can say for things likedarts , isn't it? No,that's really what I like about it.I like having time to think in the open air.I'm not terribly keen on the man against animal bit, y

12、ou know manthe hunter against nature. No, actually I don t usually catch very many you know. And if I do, I always throw them straight back.Text BJEFF: What's on the telly this evening? I feel like relaxing.MARY: Why ask me that? You know I never watch it.JEFE: Too busy with the latest hobby, ar

13、e you? What is it thistime, knitting socksfor your nephews? Or collecting buttons? I wish I had as much free time as you do.MARY:Men! As a matter of fact, you probably have more than I do. But youwaste itall watching your telly.JEFF: That's not a waste of time. I've got to rest sometimes.MAR

14、Y:Sometimes , maybe , but not all the time. And anyway ,I relax with myhobbies.A change is as good as a rest.JEFF: Well, the telly's my hobby, and I learn a lot from it.MARY:But it doesn't teach you to do anything, does it? You ust sit there andstareat it. That's not lerning.JEFF: But I

15、do learn. There are lots of educational programmes.MARY:But you don't watch them, do you? Whenever an educationalprogramme comes on, you eithes switch ove to the other channel or go to sleep.JEFF: When I come home from work. I need to put my feet up, at least for a while.Life's not all work,

16、 you know.MARY:Hobbies aren't work, Jeff. I like putting my feet up, too, at the end of theday,but I like doing things while I rest. Life's too short for us to waste time.JEFF: Mary dear, as I've said many times, we're different. There are two kinds ofpeople in the world.MARY:I know,

17、 I know. Those who are never happy unless they're runningabout doingthings.JEFF: That's right, and those who are never happy unless they're doing nothing. I'mone of the latter and you.MARY:I know, dear. I'm one of the former. And proud of it.JEFF: So now we agree. Live, and let l

18、ive. You can go peacefully back to your -buttoncollection, and I can watch TV.MARY:If only you organised yourself better, there's so much you could do,really.You're wasting your talents. And one last thing I'm not collecting buttons.JEFF: What are you doing then? Making sculptures from p

19、otatoes?MARY:No, I'm learning how to make Turkish cakes, and the first ones cameout very well.Of course, if you're too tired, I won't insist on you trying them.Additional lnformationA hobby can be almost anything a person likes to do in his spare time.Hobbyists raise pets, build model sh

20、ips, weave baskets, or carve soap figures.They watch birds, hunt animals, climb mountains, raise flowers, fish, ski, skate, and swim. Hobbyists also paint pictures, attend concerts and plays, and perform on musical instruments. They collect everything from books to butterflies, and from shells to st

21、amps.4中级英语听力教程：Lesson 20 Tell Us About Your HobbiesPeople take up hobbies because these activities offerenjoyment , friendship,knowledge, and relaxation . Sometimes they even yield financial profit.Hobbies help people relax after periods of hard work, and provide a balance between work and play. Hob

22、bies also offer interesting activities for persons who have retired . Anyone, rich or poor, old or young, sick or well, can follow a satisfying hobby, regardless of his age, position, or income.Hobbies can help a person's mental and physical health. Doctors have found that hobbies are valuable i

23、n helping patients recover from physical or mental illness. Hobbies give bedridden or wheel-chair patients something to do, and provide interests that keep them from thinking about themselves. Many hospitals treat patients by having them take up interesting hobbies or pastimes .In early times, most

24、people were too busy making a living to have many hobbies. But some persons who hadleisure did enjoy hobbies. The ancientEgyptians played games with balls made of wood,pottery , and papyrus .some Greeks and Romans collectedminiature soldiers.People today have more time than ever before for hobbies.

25、Machines and automation have reduced the amount of time they must spend on their jobs. Hobbies provide variety for workers who do the samemonotonous tasksall day long. More people are retiring than ever before, and at an earlier age.Those who have developed hobbies never need to worry about what to

26、do with their newly-found leisure hours.Sir William Osler, a famous Canadian doctor, expressed the value of hobbies by saying, "No man is really happy or safe without a hobb.y, and it makes precious little difference what the outsidc interest may be-botany, bcetles, or 5中级英语听力教程：Lesson 20 Tell

27、Us About Your Hobbiesbutterflies; roses, tulips, or irises: fishing, mountaimeering, or antiques - anything1 normally Aadv.正常地，通常地 参考例句：I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。2 detailed Aadj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的参考例句：He had made a detailed study of the terra

28、in.他对地形作了 缜密的研究。A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。3 obviouslyadv.显然；明白地参考例句：Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验OObviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。4 complicatedAadj.错综复杂的，麻烦的，结构复杂的 参考例句：The poem is so complicated that I cannot make o

29、ut its meaning.这首诗太复杂，我理解不了它的意思。This is the most complicated case I have ever handled.这是我所处理过的最为复杂的案子。5 dartsn.掷飞镖游又飞镖（dart的名词复数）；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射（dart的第三人称单 数）；向前冲，飞奔参考例句：His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece.他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。来自简明英汉词典I never saw so many darts in a bodice!我从没见过紧身胸衣上

30、纳了这么多的缝褶！来自简明英汉词典6 keen Aadj.热心的；敏锐的；激烈的；锋利的参考例句：There is keen competition between the two motorcar firms.两家汽车公司之间存在着激烈的竞争。The children are mad keen to go to the zoo.孩子们非常想去动物园。7 knitting An.编结物；接合，联合；外科骨愈合v.（使）愈合（knit的现在分词）；编结，编织；（使）紧密地结合；织平针参考例句：Weaving and knitting are traditional cottage industr

31、ies.编织和针织是传统的家庭手工业。manipulative skills such as typing and knitting诸如打字、 编织这样的技能8 learning >n.学问，学识，学习；动词 learn的现在分词参考例句：When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅 仅是记些单词的事。9 additional >adj.

32、添加的，额外的，另外的参考例句：It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规贝 U。I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。10 enjoyment An.乐趣；享有；享用参考例句：Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit.有您的陪同， 我们这次访问更加愉快了。After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表

33、示他的高兴。11 relaxation >n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐参考例句：The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。12 yield Av.生产，出产；让步，屈服； n.产量，收获量 参考例句：A cow will yield several gallons of milk each day.头母牛每天产几力口仑的牛奶。We shall never yie

34、ld to a conqueror.我们永远不会向征服者低头。13 retired >adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的参考例句：The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。14 helping >n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的参考例句：The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger.那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition.这样一来，他在某些时候，有助于竞争的加强。15 pastimes An.消遣，娱乐(pastime 的名词复数)参考例句：First, pastimes (or "amuseme