英語趣味課堂：空閑時間-Free Time

Dai: So, Naomi, so you're from Wales and you're eleven. So what does an eleven-year-old girl do for fun in Wales?

Naomi: I do music. I play the piano and and the violin.

Dai: How long have you played the piano for?

Naomi: Since I was about eight.

Dai: Eight. And what about the violin?

Naomi: About the same?

Dai: OK, and what kind of level are you at now, then, at the piano?

Naomi: I just passed my grade three.

Dai: Oh, congratulations. So that's grade three of ... what is that?

Naomi: Of ... you have different levels.

Dai: OK. And it starts at grade ...?

Naomi: One. And it gets harder.

Dai: Up till ... what's the highest grade you can get?

Naomi: Eight.

Dai: Oh, grade eight. So, you're a grade three now. So I guess the next one you're gonna do is grade four?

Naomi: Yeah.

Dai: OK, and so what do you have to do? What kind of test is it?

Naomi: You learn three pieces.

Dai: Three pieces of music.

Naomi: Yeah. And you have to play them and you have do some singing.

Dai: Oh, really?

Naomi: Yeah. And some ...

Dai: Is that like sight reading? You look at the script and you have to sing the notes or ... ?

Naomi: No, somebody plays a tune for you and you have to sing it, exactly the same tune that they played, and there's sight reading where you have to look at the page and then play it on the piano.

Dai: Oh, wow. Is that hard?

Naomi: Yeah.

Dai: Yeah. I can imagine. So often ... how much to you practice the piano then?

Naomi: It probably should be once a day, but I normally do it three times a week - about that.

Dai: OK. And you enjoy it then?

Naomi: Yeah.

Dai: OK. Great. And, you play the violin too?

Naomi: Yeah.

Dai: Yeah, is that fun?

Naomi: Sort of. It's not as fun as the piano.

Dai: OK. And do you do any other things in your spare time?

Naomi: I do Guides and swimming.

Dai: Guides?

Naomi: Yeah.

Dai: What's Guides?

Naomi: It's like a group of girls and they do activities and everything and they meet each week to do activities.

Dai: Like what kind of activities do you do?

Naomi: Well, you can go camping sometimes, and you just do activities like sometimes you do sports and outside activities and lots of things.

Dai: Oh, is it like, kind of like the Cub Scouts for the boys?

Naomi: Yes.

Dai: OK, so you have to wear a uniform?

Naomi: Yes.

Dai: OK, can you explain the uniform for me?

Naomi: It's sort of this dark blue and you can either wear jeans or joggers or these trousers.

Dai: Joggers? What are joggers?

Naomi: Trousers that you wear for sports.

Dai: Oh, for like jogging. Oh, OK. well, sounds like you have ... you do a lot of fun things in your spare time.

Naomi: Yeah.

Dai: OK, well, it was very nice to talk to you and good luck with your piano and your violin.

Naomi: Thank you.

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

play a tune

Somebody plays a tune for you and you have to sing it.

A tune and a song are the same; however, we usually sing a song, but play a tune on a musical instrument. Notice the following:

Why don't you play a tune for us on the guitar?

Our music teacher plays a tune on the piano and we try to copy it.

once

It probably should be once a day, but I normally do it three times a week.

'Once' means the same as 'one time'. Notice the following:

My father does yoga at least once a day.

Most people take a shower once a day, if not more.

wear a uniform

You have to wear a uniform.

A uniform is a matching set of clothes worn by the same team, students of the same school, or employees of the same company. Notice the following:

The home team usually wears its white uniforms.

My sister hated wearing a school uniform.

joggers

You can either wear jeans or joggers or these trousers.

Joggers are exercise pants. Notice the following:

In America, people call joggers 'sweat pants'.

I usually wear my old joggers to the gym.

spare time

You do a lot of fun things in your spare time.

The phrase 'spare time' means the same as 'free time'. Notice the following:

People in prison have a lot of spare time.

If you have some spare time this weekend, you should come over.