HOBBIES
(Câu hỏi & câu trả lời của thầy Simon, nguồn: https://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2013/05/ielts-speaking-part-3-make-it-personal.html)
Do you think it's important for people to have hobbies? Why?
Yes, I think people need to have hobbies because we all need to do things we enjoy in our spare time. In my case, I find that playing football once a week with some friends helps me to relax, keep fit and forget about work. I think it's the same for everyone.
Can hobbies have any negative effects?
Yes, if you spend too much time on your hobby, it can affect other parts of your life. I remember that one of my friends spent most of his time at university playing computer games instead of studying. In the end, he failed most of his exams.
Why do people have hobbies?
I think the biggest reason people have hobbies is to relax. Another reason is that people have different kinds of interests, and hobbies give them a way to pursue those interests. For example, I like art, so I paint as a hobby. People who like music might learn to play the guitar or sing in a local choir. People who like flowers might garden as a hobby. Hobbies give people ways to express different aspects of their personalities and develop different abilities.
Are there any hobbies you think are not worthwhile?
I suppose some people think some things are a waste of time, but it’s hard to make that decision for other people. I don’t like building ship models, for example. I can’t think of anything more boring than that, so for me, that would be a real waste of time. But another person might get a lot out of an activity like that. So I think that as long as a hobby is enjoyable to the person who does it, and doesn’t cost too much money, we can’t say it’s not worthwhile.
What can we learn from hobbies?
Depending on the hobby, we can learn different things. People who garden as a hobby can learn about botany. People who play musical instruments can learn about music theory. We can learn about a lot of different things, depending on what our interests are.
Is it important to teach hobbies to children? Why or why not?
Yes, I think it’s important to teach hobbies to children. Childhood is a time of crying out different things. By pursuing different kinds of hobbies, children can learn how to do different kinds of things. They can learn about the kinds of things that interest them, and they can discover which things are boring to them. This helps them develop a better sense of who they are. Also, a child who develops hobbies will always have interesting ways to spend his or her time throughout his or her life.
LEISURE ACTIVITIES / LEISURE TIME
(Câu hỏi và câu trả lời của Mr Simon. Nguồn: https://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2011/11/ielts-speaking-part-3-leisure-activities.html)
What is the relationship between leisure and the economy?
Well, people spend a lot of money on all sorts of leisure activities nowadays, so I think leisure is a very important part of the economy of most countries. Leisure could be anything that people do in their free time, such as eating out, going to the cinema, watching a football match, or staying in a hotel. Millions of people are employed in these areas.
How does the economy benefit from people's leisure activities?
The leisure industry makes a huge contribution to the economy. As I said before, it keeps millions of people in employment, and all of these employees pay their taxes and have money to spend on other goods and services. At the same time, most people spend some of their earnings on leisure activities, and this money, therefore, goes back into the economy.
Do men and women enjoy the same type of leisure activities?
Yes and no. I think both men and women enjoy things like eating in restaurants or going to the cinema, but I'm sure there are other activities that are more popular with one gender. For example, I think more men than women go to football matches.
