How teenagers spend their weekends
How teenagers spend their weekends
The way U.S. teens spend their time is changing, but differences between boys and girls persist
Teens today are spending their time differently than they did a decade ago. They’re devoting more time to sleep and homework, and less time to paid work and socializing. But what has not changed are the differences between teen boys and girls in time spent on leisure, grooming, homework, housework and errands, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Overall, teens (ages 15 to 17) spend an hour a day, on average, doing homework during the school year, up from 44 minutes a day about a decade ago and 30 minutes in the mid-1990s.
Teens are also getting more shut-eye than they did in the past. They are clocking an average of over nine and a half hours of sleep a night, an increase of 22 minutes compared with teens a decade ago and almost an hour more than those in the mid-1990s. Sleep patterns fluctuate quite a bit – on weekends, teens average about 11 hours, while on weekdays they typically get just over nine hours a night. (While these findings are derived from time diaries in which respondents record the amount of time they slept on the prior night, results from other types of surveys suggest teens are getting fewer hours of sleep.)
Teens now enjoy more than five and a half hours of leisure a day (5 hours, 44 minutes). The biggest chunk of teens’ daily leisure time is spent on screens: 3 hours and 4 minutes on average. This figure, which can include time spent gaming, surfing the web, watching videos and watching TV, has held steady over the past decade. On weekends, screen time increases to almost four hours a day (3 hours, 53 minutes), and on weekdays teens are spending 2 hours and 44 minutes on screens.
Time spent playing sports has held steady at around 45 minutes, as has the time teens spend in other types of leisure such as shopping for clothes, listening to music and reading for pleasure.
Time spent by teens in other leisure activities has declined. Over the past decade, the time spent socializing – including attending parties, extracurriculars, sporting or other entertainment events as well as spending time with others in person or on the phone – has dropped by 16 minutes, to 1 hour and 13 minutes a day.
Teens also are spending less time on paid work during the school year than their predecessors: 26 minutes a day, on average, compared with 49 minutes about a decade ago and 57 minutes in the mid-1990s. Much of this decline reflects the fact that teens are less likely to work today than in the past; among employed teens, the amount of time spent working is not much different now than it was around 2005.
While the way teens overall spend their time has changed in a number of ways, persistent gender differences in time use remain. Teen boys are spending an average of about six hours a day in leisure time, compared with roughly five hours a day for girls – driven largely by the fact that boys are spending about an hour (58 minutes) more a day than girls engaged in screen time. Boys also spend more time playing sports: 59 minutes vs. 33 minutes for girls.
On the flip side, girls spend 10 more minutes a day, on average, shopping for items such as clothes or going to the mall (15 minutes vs. 5 minutes).
Teen girls also spend more time than boys on grooming activities, such as bathing, getting dressed, getting haircuts, and other activities related to their hygiene and appearance. Girls spend an average of about an hour a day on these types of tasks (1 hour, 3 minutes); boys spend 40 minutes on them.
Girls also devote 21 more minutes a day to homework than boys do – 71 minutes vs. 50 minutes, on average, during the school year. This pattern has held steady over the past decade, as the amount of time spent on homework has risen equally for boys and girls.
When it comes to the amount of time spent on housework, the differences between boys and girls reflect gender dynamics that are also evident among adults. Teenage girls spend 38 minutes a day, on average, helping around the house during the school year, compared with 24 minutes a day for boys. The bulk of this gap is driven by the fact that girls spend more than twice as much time cleaning up and preparing food as boys do (29 minutes vs. 12 minutes). There are not significant differences in the amount of time boys and girls spend on home maintenance and lawn care.
Girls also spend more time running errands, such as shopping for groceries (21 minutes vs. 11 minutes for boys).
In addition to these differences in how they spend their time, the way boys and girls feel about their day also differs in some key ways. A new survey by Pew Research Center of teens ages 13 to 17 finds that 36% of girls say they feel tense or nervous about their day every or almost every day; 23% of boys say the same. At the same time, girls are more likely than boys to say they get excited daily or almost daily by something they study in school (33% vs. 21%). And while similar shares of boys and girls say they feel a lot of pressure to get good grades, be involved in extracurricular activities or fit in socially, girls are more likely than boys to say they face a lot of pressure to look good (35% vs. 23%).
This analysis is based primarily on time diary data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), which has been sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and annually conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau since 2003. The ATUS produces a nationally representative sample of respondents, drawn from the Current Population Survey.
Most of the analyses are based on respondents in the 2003-2006 and the 2014-2017 ATUS samples (referred to in the text as “2005” and “2015”). Data regarding time use in the mid-1990s is based on 1992-1994 data from the American Heritage Time Use Survey (AHTUS). For all time points, multiple years of data were combined in order to increase sample size. Because time use among teens can vary so much between the summer and the school year, only data for September through June are used for these analyses. Although focused on the school year, the data also reflect time use during school holidays, such as spring break.
These time diaries track in detail how Americans spend their time, focusing on each respondent’s primary activity (i.e., the main thing they were doing) sequentially for the prior day, including the start and end times for each activity.
All data were accessed via the ATUS-X website made available through IPUMS.
How teenagers spend their weekends
Выберите только ОДНО из двух предложенных заданий (40.1 или 40.2). Укажите его номер и выполните согласно данному плану. В ответе на задание 40 числительные пишите цифрами.
40.1 Imagine that you are doing a project on how teenagers in Zetland spend their free time. You have found some data on the subject — the results of the opinion polls (see the table below).
Comment on the data in the table and give your opinion on the subject of the project.
| Activities | Number of teenagers (%) |
|---|---|
| Hanging out with friends | 47 |
| Watching movies | 20 |
| Doing online shopping | 16 |
| Cooking | 12 |
| Reading the same book and discussing it | 5 |
Write 200−250 words.
Use the following plan:
— make an opening statement on the subject of the project;
— select and report 2−3 facts;
— make 1−2 comparisons where relevant;
— outline a problem that can arise with ways of spending free time and suggest a way of solving it;
— conclude by giving your opinion on the best way of spending free time.
40.2 Imagine that you are doing a project on what teenagers in Zetland use social networks for. You have found some data on the subject — the results of the opinion polls (see the diagram below).
Comment on the data in the diagram and give your opinion on the subject of the project.
What teenagers in Zetland use social networks for
To get entertained
To share and follow news
To attend fan groups
To upload photos
To promote hobbies
Write 200−250 words.
Use the following plan:
— make an opening statement on the subject of the project;
— select and report 2−3 facts;
— make 1−2 comparisons where relevant;
— outline a problem that can arise with using social networks and suggest a way of solving it;
— conclude by giving your opinion on the role of social networks in our life.
40.1 Spending free time has always been fun for teenagers. While doing a project on how teenagers in Zetland spend their free time, I found a diagram containing some relevant data that I am going to comment on.
According to the diagram, approximately half of all the teenagers in Zetland, that is 47%, choose hanging out with friends as their favourite pastime. Watching movies comes second in popularity with 20% of the surveyed. Surprisingly, only 5% of the respondents like reading the same book to discuss it later, and it is the least preferred free time activity.
The data analysis reveals that shopping online, chosen by 16% of the respondents, is almost three times as popular as reading, whereas doing online shopping is by 4% more favoured than cooking, which is practised only by 12% of the teenagers. It is quite understandable why shopping online is far more preferable: it is convenient, time-saving and fun.
Although modern teenagers are quite active in going out together, they seem to neglect reading and this seems to be a problem. To solve this problem local authorities could promote reading in public places like parks or youth centres by involving celebrities into this activity. Thus, reading and discussing could regain their popularity.
In conclusion, I believe that despite the obvious disbalance between the active and passive forms of pastime, spending one’s free time and enjoying it is vital for a teenager’s mind and body. It’s an open secret that both work and play should be balanced. (251 words)
40.2 Nowadays, using social networking sites like Instagram or Facebook has gradually become an inseparable part of teenagers’ lives as a staple means of communication. While doing a project on what teenagers in Zetland use social networks for, I found a diagram containing some relevant data that I am going to comment on.
The diagram shows that more than a half of all the teenagers in Zetland, that is 54%, use social media to get entertained. Sharing and following news ranks second in popularity with 21% of the surveyed adolescents. Unexpectedly, only 2% of the respondents use social platforms to promote their hobbies and it is the smallest amount.
The statistics analysis demonstrates that attending fan groups, which makes 12%, is six times as popular as promoting hobbies online. At the same time, uploading photos is almost as popular as being a celebrity follower and is only by 1% less popular.
Although the majority of teenagers use social networks for different purposes, none of them has mentioned using social media for learning and it seems to be a problem. One of the solutions could be promoting virtual learning communities where both teachers and learners would share their ideas and experience.
To sum up, I believe that social platforms will never become unpopular, as they provide a great opportunity to socialize, make friends, follow new trends in fashion, take up a hobby, etc. However, it is also important to be careful not to spend too much time on screens — social media are quite addictive. (253 words)
Установите соответствие между текстами A–G и заголовками 1–8. Запишите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.
1. Look to your past
2. Health benefits of hobbies
3. Finding a hobby that suits you
4. Dangerous hobby
5. Time out with a purpose
6. Finding time for your hobby
7. Making new friends
8. Finding excitement
A. Hobbies provide work-free and responsibility-free time in your schedule. This can be especially useful for people who feel stressed by all that they have to do and need to recharge their batteries. For some of us it may be difficult to give ourselves permission to just sit and relax. Having a hobby, however, can provide a break and help people feel that they’re not just ‘sitting around’ but are using their free time for something productive.
B. Are there things you enjoyed as a child that you might still enjoy as an adult? Maybe you had a fantastic record collection, loved to make clothes for your dolls or were always out on your bike. Those are all things you could pick up again as an adult that would make great hobbies. Or there may be hobbies in your home right now that you started but have recently forgotten about. Maybe it’s time to finish that crochet project or pick up the guitar again.
C. If you’re adding a new thing into your life, you have to take time and focus away from something else. The good news is that most of us have a lot of time we’re not using well, either because we’re spending a lot of time online or watching TV or just wasting time we could be spending on our hobbies. See if you can spend a half hour or so every other day to explore your interest. This way it would be best in case you find that hobby isn’t for you after all.
D. Of course, everyone is different and your personality does play a role in what sorts of hobbies you’ll like. If you don’t have a lot of patience you might feel that knitting is too much for you, but exploring quick sewing projects might be a better choice. Maybe you really like being with friends, so you need to take a class or have an interest that you can do with a group. If you travel a lot, something portable or that you can do anywhere is helpful.
E. One study found that those who engage in physical leisure activities for at least 20 minutes once a week are less likely to have a fatigue. Other research found that enjoyable activities performed during leisure time were associated with lower blood pressure, total cortisol, and body mass index, and feelings of better physical function. Such activities were also associated with higher levels of positive psychosocial states and lower levels of depression.
F. When you look for material or equipment for your hobby, you are likely to find people who have the same hobby as you. You may be surprised to know how serious some people are about their hobbies and therefore would have great knowledge of their chosen pastime. Instead of meeting people from your work or college or those whom you have grown apart with, it is a great way to meet people with whom you have something in common.
G. For those who aren’t very stressed and may actually be understimulated, hobbies provide a nice source of eustress, the healthy kind of stress that we all need to remain feeling happy about life. If the rest of your life is somewhat dull or uninspiring, hobbies can provide meaning and fun, and can break up a boring schedule, without feeling like work. In other words, hobbies can provide just the right amount of challenge.
| Текст | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| Заголовок |
A — 5. Having a hobby, however, can provide a break and help people feel that they’re not just ‘sitting around’ but are using their free time for something productive.
B — 1. Are there things you enjoyed as a child that you might still enjoy as an adult?
C — 6. See if you can spend a half hour or so every other day to explore your interest.
D — 3. Of course, everyone is different and your personality does play a role in what sorts of hobbies you’ll like.
E — 2. Other research found that enjoyable activities performed during leisure time were associated with lower blood pressure, total cortisol, and body mass index, and feelings of better physical function.
F — 7. Instead of meeting people from your work or college or those whom you have grown apart with, it is a great way to meet people with whom you have something in common.
G — 8. If the rest of your life is somewhat dull or uninspiring, hobbies can provide meaning and fun, and can break up a boring schedule, without feeling like work.
Ответ: 5, 1, 6, 3, 2, 7, 8.
Выберите только ОДНО из двух предложенных высказываний и выразите своё мнение по предложенной проблеме согласно данному плану.
Comment on one of the following statements.
1. Parents should keep track of what their teenage children are doing on the Internet.
2. It is important for teenagers to have a lot of free time.
What is your opinion? Do you agree with this statement? Write 200–250 words.
Use the following plan:
— make an introduction (state the problem paraphrasing the given statement);
— express your personal opinion and give 2–3 reasons for your opinion;
— express an opposing opinion and give 1–2 reasons for this opposing opinion;
— explain why you do not agree with the opposing opinion;
— make a conclusion restating your position.
Чтобы успешно написать высказывание с элементами рассуждения следует:
— строить высказывания в соответствии с предложенным планом;
— начинать введение с общего представления темы и предложения, отображающего ее проблемный характер;
— во введении необходимо перефразировать тему/проблему, используя синонимичные выражения;
— в основной части сначала высказать свое мнение и аргументировать его, затем представить точки зрения других людей и дать аргументацию, почему с ними не согласны;
— приводя контраргументы, отстаивая свою точку зрения, желательно использовать перифраз, синонимию;
— в заключительном абзаце еще раз указать на проблемный характер темы, показать, что вы способны видеть и другие точки зрения, тем не менее ваша кажется вам более убедительной;
— делить текст на абзацы, которые отражают содержательную и логическую структуру текста;
— сделать введение и заключение приблизительно одинаковыми по объему;
— разбить основную часть как минимум на два абзаца, приблизительно одинаковых по размеру;
— следить за тем, чтобы общий объем основной части был не меньше общего объема введения и заключения;
— особое внимание уделять средствам логической связи текста, как внутри предложения, так и между предложениями.
После выполнения задания уделите внимание проверке и подсчету количества слов (должно быть 200—250 слов).
All teenagers need free time to develop their interests, spend time with friends and just to relax. Nowadays the topic of leisure time is worth discussing.
Some people think that a lot of free time for teenagers is a great idea. However, there are the others who claim that it is better to restrict this leisure time as young people don’t need to rest a lot.
As for me, I believe nowadays it is more important to think about modern life and issues that come along. Many teenagers spend a large amount of time in structured extracurricular activities such as sports and arts and can therefore feel bored with unstructured and unlimited spare time. They need to be overseen. There are many things to be said in favour of this point of view.
Firstly, young brain works efficiently that allows young people develop and master their skills better than adults. That is why teenagers should consider their opportunities and spend time on important things.
Secondly, I think that the hazard of being influenced by lazy peers and various «bad companies» is greater, if a teenager has a lot of time and doesn’t know how to spend it usefully.
On the contrary, there are other people, who are convinced that youth is the only opportunity to enjoy your life and one should be not saddled with education or any kind of hard work, because this precious time should be devoted to socializing and having the time of your life.
I disagree with this point of view, because these people forget that in the future all the teenagers will face the outcomes of what they are doing now. Every person van be happy disregarding the age, but youth allows a lot of chances for planting the seeds of truly enjoybale future. I believe that teenagers spend quite enough time with society, therefore they do not lack communication.
In conclusion, I should say that we should better discuss the topic of spare time with experts as it arouses a lot of controversy nowadays. I think that teenagers don’t need to have a lot of free time.
You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen-friend Richard who writes:
. I’m currently studying for my exams and hope to do well at my finals. I wish I could have more free time now as I love going out with my friends, meeting new people, making new acquaintances. Do you like hanging out with friends in your free time or are you a stay-at-home type? How do you usually spend the weekend? What are your hobbies or interests?
A friend of mine is coming to see me this weekend.
Write a letter to Richard. In your letter answer his questions, ask 3 questions about his friend’s visit. Write words. Remember the rules of letter writing. You have 20 minutes to do this task.
Thank you for your letter. I’m sorry for not writing you for so long. I spent time doing a school project.
I hope you’ll succeed at your finals. I prefer spending time with my friend. I think that everything depends on my mood. Usually, during the weekends I need to go out to spend my free time with friends in some café or movies etc. But at the same time some weekends I stay at home and enjoy being alone, watching films, cooking food or playing the piano. Music is my main hobby. Also I’m very interested in literature.
Anyway, you’ve mentioned your friend. What are you going to do together? How often do you meet? Have you warned your parents about the visit?
I’ve got to go as my dad is asking me to help him with his car.
Write back soon.
You have received an email message from your English-speaking pen-friend Richard:
| From: [email protected] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To: [email protected] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subject: Welcome | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
. I’m currently studying for my exams and hope to do well at my finals. I wish I could have more free time now as I love going out with my friends, meeting new people, making new acquaintances. Do you like hanging out with friends in your free time or are you a stay-at-home type? How do you usually spend the weekend? What are your hobbies or interests? A friend of mine is coming to see me this weekend. Write an email to Richard. In your message answer his questions, ask 3 questions about his friend’s visit. Write words. Remember the rules of email writing. You have 20 minutes to do this task. Thank you for your message. I’m sorry for not writing you for so long. I spent time doing a school project. I hope you’ll succeed at your finals. I prefer spending time with my friend. I think that everything depends on my mood. Usually, during the weekends I need to go out to spend my free time with friends in some café or movies etc. But at the same time some weekends I stay at home and enjoy being alone, watching films, cooking food or playing the piano. Music is my main hobby. Also I’m very interested in literature. Anyway, you’ve mentioned your friend is coming to see you. Have you seen each other before? What are you going to do together? Have you warned your parents about the visit? I’ve got to go as my dad is asking me to help him with his car. Write back soon. Установите соответствие между текстами A–G и заголовками 1–8. Запишите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний. 1. First things first 2. Set objectives wisely 3. Delegate and refuse 4. Plan for efficiency 5. Not only work matters 6. Avoid distractions 7. The faster, the better 8. Importance of time management A. Time is precious, particularly when it comes to running a small business. While being your own boss is a dream for many, it comes with a lot of responsibility. No doubt, you never seem to be able to check off all the items on your to-do list. From networking to marketing your company, it may seem like there’s an endless number of tasks and never enough time. If you want to maintain a healthy work-life balance, your time management skills really need to be on point. After all, there are never more than 24 hours in a day. B. Goal setting is crucial to any good time management strategy. To make sure you’re engaging in activities that support your business goals, both short- and long-term, you need to define those goals in terms that are clear and achievable. After all, if your goal is just “to grow your business,” you might find yourself stressed and not know where to begin. Standing for “Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound”, SMART goals provide clear, step-by-step tasks to help you get where you need to go. C. Once you have set your goals and determined the individual tasks you need to do to achieve them, it’s time to prioritise. Of course, you want to make sure you’re getting things done, but they should be the right things. Stephen Covey offers advice on how to work through your to-do list based on urgency. Focus your energy on completing your most important and urgent tasks before moving on to less time-sensitive items. Low-priority stuff offers the illusion of being busy. Do these later. D. One of the worst things you can do is jump into the workday with no clear idea about what needs to get done. While it might seem like a waste of time to take five to ten minutes to think ahead rather than getting straight down to business, you’ll be surprised at how much more efficient you can be just by dedicating a little time to planning out the rest of the day. If you schedule your time wisely, you can focus on one task at a time, rather than wasting time jumping from one thing to the next. This allows you to work smarter, not harder. E. Start paying attention to the number of times someone interrupts you when you are doing an important task. Track self-induced interruptions, too, particularly those of the social media variety. Your smartphone is extremely useful, but it’s also highly addictive and among the most harmful time-wasters known to man. It may take a massive exercise in will power, but shut the door and turn off your phone to maximize your time. Instead of being “always on”, plan a break in the day to catch up on email, make phone calls, etc. F. If you have hired talented, dedicated employees, one of the most impactful management tools is asking them to handle some tasks. Running a successful small business depends on the owner’s ability to think about what lies ahead and not get stuck in day-to-day operations. Look for opportunities to pass responsibility for specific tasks to others on your team. That’s what you hired them for, isn’t it? If you have to decline a request in order to attend to what’s truly important and urgent, do not hesitate to do so. G. Taking care of yourself is important. In fact, one Harvard study found that insomnia can cause the average worker to lose up to 11.3 days of productivity each year, while another study found that regular exercise helps improve concentration, sharpen memory, speed up your ability to learn, and even lower your stress levels. Making sure you have some free time each day to spend on the people and things you love is important for your mental health, and can help keep you energised and passionate about your work.
A — 8. If you want to maintain a healthy work-life balance, your time management skills really need to be on point. B — 2. Goal setting is crucial to any good time management strategy. SMART goals provide clear, step-by-step tasks to help you get where you need to go. C — 1. Iit’s time to prioritise. Focus your energy on completing your most important and urgent tasks before moving on to less time-sensitive items. D — 4. You’ll be surprised at how much more efficient you can be just by dedicating a little time to planning out the rest of the day. E — 6. Start paying attention to the number of times someone interrupts you when you are doing an important task. Instead of being “always on”, plan a break in the day to catch up on email, make phone calls, etc. F — 3. Look for opportunities to pass responsibility for specific tasks to others on your team. If you have to decline a request in order to attend to what’s truly important and urgent, do not hesitate to do so. G — 5. Making sure you have some free time each day to spend on the people and things you love is important for your mental health, and can help keep you energised and passionate about your work. Study the two photographs. In 1.5 minutes be ready to compare and contrast the photographs: • give a brief description of the photos (action, location); • say what the pictures have in common; • say in what way the pictures are different; • say which way of spending free time presented in the pictures you prefer; You will speak for not more than 2 minutes (12−15 sentences). You have to talk continuously. Высказывание должно быть логично; содержать вступительную и заключительную фразы, соответствующие теме. Средства логической связи должны быть использованы верно. Необходимо избегать необоснованных пауз в речи, верно расставлять ударения, правильно использовать интонацию, не нарушать нормы произношения слов. I’d like to compare and contrast these two pictures. In picture one we can see two men riding their bikes in picturesque surroundings. In picture two we see a lady lying on the sofa looking into the monitor of her laptop. In both pictures we can see people having a good time, it is probably their day off. The mood of the people is very similar in both photos, they feel tranquil, peaceful and seem to be enjoying themselves. However, there is a significant difference between the pictures. While in picture one the men prefer outdoor activities and active sports, the lady in picture 2 chooses to stay inside and spend her free time in front of her gadget. As for me, if I had a day off, I’d rather spend it outdoors, preferably in the countryside enjoying the nature (provided the weather is fine). I believe that nowadays we spend too much time in front of computer screens and we should use any opportunity that we get in order to spend more time away from the gadgets and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. Task 3. You are going to give an interview. You have to answer five questions. Give full answers to the questions (2−3 sentences). Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question. Tapescript for Task 3 Interviewer: Hello everybody! It’s Teenagers Round the World Channel. Our guest today is a teenager from Russia and we are going to discuss hobbies. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started. Interviewer: Could you tell us what is unusual about Russia? Interviewer: What kinds of hobbies do people usually have in your country? Interviewer: What is your first hobby? Do you still do it? Interviewer: How do you spend your free time now? Interviewer: What hobby would you like to pick up in the future? Why? Interviewer: Thank you very much for your interview. 1) I would say that the character of Russian people is fairly unusual. They are a bit harsh when you meet them, but they are extremely friendly after you get to know them. 2) Many people in Russia usually play various sports in their spare time. Reading and watching TV are also popular. 3) My first hobby was reading. I still do it from time to time, but I read the most when I was in elementary school. 4) I usually play football with my friends in the schoolyard. As I already mentioned, I also read from time to time. 5) I want to learn to play the piano in the coming years. I love classical music and I was never able to play it myself, so this skill would bring me great enjoyment. Установите соответствие между текстами A–G и заголовками 1–8. Запишите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний. 1. Importance to people 2. Types of migrating birds 3. A way of spending free time 4. Where birds migrate 5. Behaviour and feeding habits 6. Causes of bird extinction 7. Causes of bird migration 8. Where birds live A. Birds are distinguished from all other animals by their feathers. Some types of birds live alone most of the time. Other types are more social. They may sleep, fly, and nest in groups called flocks. Birds use different sounds to communicate with one another. For example, some baby chicks stop moving when their mother produces a danger call. They may also sing to announce that a certain patch of land belongs to them. Many types eat insects. Some water birds catch fish. Many other types eat plant material. B. Birds are found almost everywhere on Earth. There are more than 10,000 types of birds. All birds have similar features. The loss of a complete bird species may be inevitable because they are too sensitive to rapid changes. Birds living on small islands, or in desert or mountainous regions, can be vulnerable to slight changes in climate, while even minor disruptions of forest habitats can affect the breeding habits and survival of others. In some regions, it is the hunting of birds, for sport or to trade their pelts, that is the greatest threat. C. Birds have spread throughout all parts of Earth because of their ability to fly. They live in a great variety of habitats, including fields, forests, grasslands, deserts, marshes, islands, and the open ocean. The size of an area and the diversity of the habitats help determine the number of species found in a given area. Many birds migrate, or fly long distances between their winter and summer homes. For example, many European birds travel to Africa for the winter. This helps them find enough food year-round. D. Every bird when it is seen for the first time brings a thrill of discovery. The spring migration is a fresh wonder every year. The surprise and delight of coming across a rarity and the difficulty of keeping it in view long enough to be sure of what it is help to make bird-watching an endless fascination. Birdwatching is a hobby that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. In bird clubs the membership ranges in age from young children to grandparents. Bird-watching can combine healthy outdoor activity with the pursuit of beauty and knowledge. E. Some birds never move far from where they were born whereas others migrate and can travel huge distances in the process. Birds migrate from one summer season to the other. Although they take a lot of risk when they migrate, for many of them it significantly improves their chances of survival and allows them to raise more offspring in another region. Birds migrate to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. F. Birds and their eggs have been sources of food for humans since their origin and still are in most societies. With the rise of agriculture, birds became important to farmers. In their constant search for food, wild birds eat huge numbers of insects, weed seeds, and rodents. Insects, weeds, and rodents cut down the amount of food the farmer can harvest from field, garden, and orchard. Many people keep birds as pets. Small finches and parrots are especially popular. Zoological parks are a source of recreation for millions of people each year. G. Migration is often annual. It is closely linked with the cyclic pattern of the seasons. It is most evident among birds, which have a highly efficient means of traveling swiftly over long distances. The migration of most birds is a yearly cycle. Not all birds migrate. Permanent residents do not migrate. They are able to find adequate supplies of food year-round. Short-distance migrants move only a short distance. Medium-distance migrants cover distances that span from one to several states. There are also long-distance migrants.
A — 5: Some types of birds live alone most of the time. Other types are more social. They may sleep, fly, and nest in groups called flocks. Many types eat insects. Some water birds catch fish. Many other types eat plant material. B — 6: The loss of a complete bird species may be inevitable because they are too sensitive to rapid changes. In some regions, it is the hunting of birds, for sport or to trade their pelts, that is the greatest threat. C — 8: They live in a great variety of habitats, including fields, forests, grasslands, deserts, marshes, islands, and the open ocean. D — 3: Birdwatching is a hobby that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. E — 7:Although they take a lot of risk when they migrate, for many of them it significantly improves their chances of survival and allows them to raise more offspring in another region. Birds migrate to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. F — 1: Birds and their eggs have been sources of food for humans. Many people keep birds as pets. G — 2: Permanent residents do not migrate. Short-distance migrants move only a short distance. Medium-distance migrants cover distances that span from one to several states. There are also long-distance migrants. You have received a letter from your New Zealand pen-friend Sheila who writes: . You know, my idea of a perfect weekend is to do absolutely nothing, just read a book. A walk in the park is not bad if the weather is nice. I don’t understand people who spend Sunday in a gym or a fitness centre. What is your idea of a perfect weekend? What do you like to do in your free time after the lessons? What is your hobby?. Soon I’m going on vacation and I can’t decide what books to take with me. Write a letter to Sheila. In your letter ask his questions, ask 3 questions about her favourite books. Write 100—140 words. Remember the rules of letter writing. You have 20 minutes to do this task. Thank you for your letter. I’m sorry for not writing you for so long. I spent time helping my dad in the garage. My idea of a perfect weekend is exactly the same as yours. I prefer doing nothing, just hanging out, reading books and etc. And I usually do it after the lessons when I don’t have too much homework. But the idea of a perfect weekend for me is something that stays in your memory for a long time, for example, a trip to the countryside with friends, some picnic or sports, concerts etc. Sometimes I play musical instruments with my friends. We have a sort of band. It is my main hobby. As I understood, you like books. Who is your favorite author? What genre do you prefer? What do you think about poetry? I’ve got to go as my brother asked me to help him with his homework. Write back soon. You have received an email message from your New Zealand pen-friend Sheila:
|
