Leisure activities in the UK

What do British people like doing at the weekends?

The weekends are a time for families in Britain. Often the parents are not at work having worked a five day week from Monday to Friday. Saturdays are a busy time for shops with many families going shopping.

Until a few years ago shops were not permitted to open on a Sunday. Sundays today are becoming like any other day with shops open. Some families will now spend their time shopping rather than going to church or they will combine the two activities.

Britain is becoming a far less Christian country with fewer people regularly attending Church. Many Christian's believe that Sunday should be kept special, as a time given to worshipping God. They think it is important for Christians to meet together, listen to readings from the Bible and celebrate Holy Communion. Others believe that it is important that families have time to be together.

How do people spend their free time? People enjoy various indoor and outdoor activities in Britain. A recent Euro state survey, the EU's statistical office, discovered that people in Britain spend about 45% of their free time watching television, 24% of their free time socializing, 22-23% on sport and hobbies, and 10% on other activities. Other popular leisure activities are listening to the radio, listening to pre-recorded music, reading, DIY, gardening, eating out and going to the cinema.

The most common leisure activity in the UK is watching television. The average viewing time is 25 hours per person per week. Almost all households have at least one television set. In 1999, 13% of households had satellite television and 9% cable television. Many television programs are about wildlife, animals, holidays, cooking and gardening. All these things are much cherished by British people. People in Britain listen to an average 15 hours and 50 minutes of radio each week.

The second most popular activity in Britain is visiting or entertaining friends or relatives.

Britons made 123 million visits to the cinema in 1998 making it the most popular cultural activity in the UK.

Eating out has grown in popularity, with British people spending in 1999 an average of £5.63 per person per week on food (excluding alcohol) outside the home.

The British are known as a nation of gardeners. Most people have a garden on their property. Gardening has been a popular pastime since Roman times. Many people in Britain are proud of their houses and gardens. They want their houses and gardens to look nice. Every town in Britain has one or more DIY (Do it Yourself) centres and garden centres. These are like supermarkets for the home and garden. These places are very popular with British home-owners at the weekends.

Saturday is traditionally the day for shopping and watching sports. A newspaper survey found that 20 per cent of women are compulsive shoppers. Saturday is the main day when we go shopping.

Sports and physical recreation have always been popular. Local governments provide cheap sport and leisure facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts and parks. People go to watch other people play sports like football or take part in sports themselves.

Going to the pub is the most popular leisure activity outside the home.

Many British people spend much of their free time during the summer months down by the sea. Children enjoy swimming in the sea and building sandcastles. There are places near the sea, such as Black pool, Scarborough and Bournemouth, where there is plenty to do even if it rains.

Europe is the most popular destination for UK residents, accounting for 80 per cent of visits abroad. Spain has been the most popular country to visit since 1994, with 13.8 million visits in 2005. France was second in popularity, with 11.1 million visits. The number of visits by UK residents to the USA increased by 2 per cent in 2005 to 4.2 million, 6 per cent higher than the number in 2001. The number of visits abroad made by UK residents has more than tripled since 1985, to a record 66.4 million visits in 2005.

Vocabulary notes

to be permitted – разрешается

Christian country – Христианская страна

to worship God – молиться богу

Holy Communion – 1) святое причастие (главное таинство [sacrament] англиканской церкви [Church of England]) 2) утреня или обедня с обрядом причащения

the Bible - Библия

to socialize – вести светский образ жизни

satellite television – спутниковое телевиденье

property – собственность, имущество.

Roman times – период римского завоевания Британии в 1-4 вв. н.э.

DIY (do-it-yourself) – «сделай сам», «умелые руки» (столярные, слесарные и др. работы дома, осуществляемые собственными силами преимущественно ввиду экономической необходимости, а также как хобби)

compulsive - принудительный

facilities – условия

sport facilities – спортивное оборудование, помещения для занятия спортом

pub – public house – паб, трактир, таверна (является местом встреч жителей данного района, открыт обыкновенно с 11 ч. До 15 ч. Или с 18 ч. До 23 ч.)

sandcastle – песочный дворец

destination – место назначения

resident – житель, гражданин

to increase – увеличивать

to triple - утраиваться

Ex. 1 Answer the following questions.

1) Who believes that Sunday should be kept special, as a time given to worshipping God?

2) What are popular British leisure activities?

2) Which is the most common leisure activity in the UK?

3) What is the average viewing time per person per week?

4) What kind of television programmes do the British watch?

5) Which is the second most popular activity in Britain?

6) What makes cinema the most popular cultural activity in the UK?

7) What are many people in Britain proud of?

8) When do the British go shopping?

9) What do local governments provide?

10) Which is the most popular leisure activity outside the home?

Ex. 2 Find in the text the following words and phrases and make sentences with five of them:

умелые руки, Христианская страна, молиться богу, опрос, вести светский образ жизни, спутниковое телевиденье, собственность, условия, трактир, песочный дворец, место назначения, житель, увеличивать, делать покупки, процент, проводить свободное время, досуг, посещать родственников друзей, нация садоводов, есть вне дома, спортивное оборудование, наслаждаться купанием в море, самая популярная странна.

Ex. 3 Complete the summary

The weekends are _______________ in Britain. On Saturdays the British are busy ______________. Sunday is the day for_______________. Watching television is ______________ in the UK. The British watch TV programs about ______________. The second most popular activity in Britain is ________________. The most popular cultural activity in the UK is _______________. The British are known as ________________. Many people in Britain are proud of _________________. Local governments provide cheap ______________. People go to ______________ or take part in _________________. The most popular leisure activity outside the home is _______________. The British like to spend their summertime at ______________. UK residents also like to visit _______________.

Ex. 4 Rate from 1 to 5 leisure activities typical for people of your country. You may add some more activities. On the basis of the scale write a paragraph about leisure preferences in your country.

Ex. 5 Compare leisure activities in Russia and in the UK. Find three things that are the same in your country and in the UK, and three things that are different.