Talk about Hobbies and Free Time Activities with Quiz

Advance Listening Series 4 Lesson 17- Dialogue about Hobbies and Free Time Activities in English

In this lesson, you listen to an English conversation between two people talking about hobbies and free time activities.

Previous Listening Lesson
TBD

English Listening Lesson Audio with Script

Lesson Audio

Coming soon…

Lesson Script

Jim: So, Meg, what do you like to do in your free time?

Meg: Actually, I love cooking. I like to try new dishes and I love baking as well.

Jim: Oh, nice. That’s interesting. Because I hate cooking.

Meg: Oh, really?

Jim: Yeah. And I don’t know anything about baking, but I like cleaning. Cleaning is relaxing.

Meg: Really? Is that true?

Jim: Yeah. Really, I like cleaning. So, my house is usually very clean.

Meg: My house is usually clean also, but I don’t like cleaning very much.

Jim: Yeah, I think most people don’t like cleaning. But some people think cleaning is relaxing. Like me.

Meg: That’s true. What else do you like to do?

Jim: Well, I like exercising. I like going to the gym. I like listening to podcasts. So, I listen to a lot of podcasts a lot. I like surfing the internet. And sometimes, I enjoy reading books.

Meg: I also enjoy reading books when I have time.

Jim: But these days, I often listen to books instead. I listen to audio books.

Meg: Oh really?

Jim: Yeah, I like listening to audio books.

Meg: Why?

Jim: Because I can exercise at the same time.

Meg: So, exercising and reading at the same time.

Jim: Yeah, it’s fun. So, I love jogging and I go jogging almost every day, usually for one hour. I listen to audio books when I jog.

Meg: So, you can do two things at once.

Jim: Very important. Multitasking. I love multitasking.

Meg: Sounds like you’re good at multitasking.

Jim: Let’s talk about outdoor activities. Do you like doing yard work?

Meg: I don’t especially like doing yard work. But right now, I don’t have a yard. So, doing yard work isn’t something I have to worry about. What about you?

Jim: I like doing yard work. I think it’s very relaxing. It’s like cleaning. So, I enjoy it. But like you, I don’t have a yard. So, now I don’t do yard work very much. Or I can’t do yard work.

Meg: So, you like gardening if you have a yard?

Jim: Yeah. I grew up on a big house. So, we have lots of yard work, lots of gardening. So, yeah.

Meg: Right.

Jim: But what about other things like hiking, do you like hiking?

Meg: I love hiking. Anything that is in nature, I love doing. I love hiking. I love kayaking. I love canoing. Any outdoor sports. Do you like hiking?

Jim: I do. I’m with you. I love hiking. What about things like rock climbing?

Meg: I have never been rock climbing. Have you gone rock climbing?

Jim: No. Rock climbing looks dangerous. So, I’m still scared.

Meg: Yeah,

Jim: So, I’ve never done rock climbing either. What about things like singing and dancing? Do you enjoy singing and dancing?

Meg: I enjoy singing, but I’m not very good at it. So, I like singing when I’m alone or in my car. Are you good at singing?

Jim: No, I’m terrible at singing. So, I hate singing. I really, really hate singing. But I like going to karaoke and listening to people sing.

Meg: Yeah, some people are really good at singing. What about dancing?

Jim: I hate dancing too. Yeah, I’m not good at dancing. So, dancing is very embarrassing for me. I don’t like it.

Meg: I’m not good at dancing either.

Jim: Are there any other activities you really dislike doing? Like for me, I hate writing letters. For example, I don’t like writing thank you letters. I don’t like writing anything with my hand. Typing is okay. I don’t mind typing things, but I hate writing.

Meg: So, using your hand to write, you hate writing?

Jim: Yeah, I like typing. Fingers is okay. Thumb is okay on the phone. I don’t mind texting, I don’t mind typing. I just don’t like physically writing with a pencil or a pen.

Meg: Yeah. Pen or a pencil, like writing a letter.

Jim: Right. Because my writing is really bad, and it’s hard to read. So, it’s embarrassing.

Meg: I’m sure it’s fine.

Jim: Yeah. How about you? For example, do you like iron in your clothes?

Meg: I don’t like having my clothes, but my clothes usually don’t need ironing, so I don’t have to worry about it too much. I don’t like doing laundry. It’s related to ironing clothes. So, it takes a long time. And the clothes, I have to dry the clothes. So, doing laundry is a little bit boring for me.

Jim: I don’t mind doing laundry if I go to the coin laundry, but I hate hanging my laundry out. I hate hanging out my laundry. It takes forever. I don’t know why, you put it out, you take it back in, it just takes so much time.

Meg: That’s funny. I’m kind of the opposite. I don’t mind hanging out my laundry, because I like saving money, so I don’t have to use money at the coin laundry.

Jim: Plus, you are helping the environment.

Meg: That’s true. I like helping the earth.

Jim: Yeah, I should change. Okay. Thanks Meg.

Meg: Yeah.

English Listening Lesson Quizzes

Answer the following questions about the conversation.

1) Who likes cleaning?

1. a) He does.
2. b) She does.
3. c) Both of them.

2) Who likes cooking?

1. a) He does.
2. b) She does.
3. c) Both of them.

3) What do they both dislike?

1. a) Singing
2. b) Dancing
3. c) Ironing

4) Who does not like yard work?

1. a) Meg
2. b) Jim
3. c) They do not say

5) What do they both enjoy?

1. a) Audio books
2. b) Being in nature
3. c) Watching movies

Answers

• 1=a
• 2=b
• 3=b
• 4=a
• 5=b

English Grammar Tips

Coming soon….

English Listening Lesson Phrases

especially

I don’t especially like doing yard work.

The adverb ‘especially’ shows a stronger feeling about one thing compared to other things. Notice the following:

1. I love playing sports, especially basketball.
2. I do not like scary movies, especially ones about ghosts.

I’m with you

I’m with you. I love hiking.

Here, the phrase ‘I’m with you’ means the person has the same opinion or feeling about something. Notice the following:

1. Oh, you don’t like Marvel movies. I’m with you. I hate them.
2. I’m with you. I don’t like going to Karaoke either.

either

I’m not good at dancing either.

The word ‘either’ is similar to ‘too’ or ‘also’ and it is used to show that two negative things are similar or related. Notice the following:

1. I cannot drive. My wife cannot drive either.
2. She does not work on Saturdays. I don’t either.

don’t mind

I don’t mind typing things, but I hate writing.

When you don’t mind doing something that means you do not dislike it. You might not love it, but you do not dislike it. Notice the following:

1. I don’t mind working on the holidays.
2. I don’t mind taking the bus to work. I can read on my commute.

it takes forever

It takes forever.

When something takes forever that means it takes a very long time. Notice the following:

1. It takes forever to drive across town on weekends due to traffic.
2. If you want to lose weight, it might take forever, but be patient.

kind of the opposite

That’s funny. I’m kind of the opposite.

Here, when someone says they are the opposite that means they have a different, or opposite, feeling about something. Notice the following:

1. My wife loves staying home, but I’m kind of the opposite.
2. My dad is very talkative, but mom is kind of the opposite.

Quizzes for Lesson Phrases

• especially
• with you
• either
• mind
• takes forever

1. Most people don’t………….  waiting in line, but not for too long .
2. I agree. I’m………..  on that point.
3. I like surfing, but it……….  to get to the beach.
4. I love sports,  team sports,……….. like soccer.
5. I do not like golf, and my wife does not like it………….  .

Next Listening Lesson
TBD

Related Listening Lessons

TBD

All Lessons for Learning English Listening

Visit our Improve English Listening Skills page to see all of HiCafe 300+ lessons for learning and improving your English listening skills.