A hobby can be almost anything a person likes to do in his spare time. Hobbyists raise pets, build model ships, weave baskets, 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 stamps.
People take up hobbies because these activities offer enjoyment, friendship, knowledge, and relaxation. Sometimes they even produce financial profit(利润). Hobbies help people balance between work and play. Hobbies 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 (不论)his age, position, or income.
Hobbies can help a person’s mental and physical health. Doctors have found that hobbies are valuable in 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 people were too engaged in making a living to have many hobbies. But some persons who had leisure(休闲)did enjoy hobbies. The ancient Egyptians played games with balls made of wood or pottery.
People today have more time than ever before for hobbies. Machines have reduced the amount of time they must spent on their jobs. Hobbies provide variety for workers who do the same monotonous(单调的) tasks all 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 do with their newly found leisure hours.
Sir William Osier, a famous Canadian doctor, expressed the value of hobbies by saying, “No man is really happy or safe without a hobby.”
小题1:It seems that people who may spend more time enjoying their hobbies.
A．have little money
B．have much money
C．have retired from their work
D．have left school小题2:The underlined phrase “recover from” in the third paragraph means .
A．get back
B．become healthy again
C．become calm
D．supply with a new cover小题3:In early times, most people spent less time on their hobbies, because .
A．they were busy in making a living
B．they suffered from illnesses.
C．they were brave and hard-working
D．they were not interested in them.小题4:What’s the writer’s opinion about hobbies?
A．People all over the world have the same hobby.
B．Machines also have their hobbies.
C．Hobbies are popular among people in Egypt.
D．People should have hobbies in their spare time.
