Lesson 1: Have you any favourite pastime?

B Listen to the dialogue and answer the questions.
Tiya : Anusha, what happens? You’ve sports trousers, T-shirts, sports shoes,
and a carry bag! Where are you coming from? And you look tired!
Anusha : Not exactly, Tiya. I’m great because I’m just from the gym.
Tiya : Do you go to the gym regularly?
Anusha : Almost yes. I go twice a week. It’s one of my favourite pastimes.
Tiya : Really! Going to the gym is your favourite pastime! You make me
laugh!
Anusha : Why not? I like sports because I like to keep in shape. I’m not a lazy
person like you!
Tiya : What do you do there?
Anusha : I do yoga.
Tiya : Don’t you have any other pastimes?
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Anusha : Hmm…yes, I have. I like playing chess, painting, and reading books
when I’m free. I also like photography but I’m yet to learn it. What do
you do for pastime?
Tiya : I like watching TV, listening to music, reading books and
magazines, and playing games on the computer. I do like gardening.
But we don’t have sufficient space. So I do pot planting. By the way,
I don’t know much about yoga. Would you please tell me about it?
Anusha : Sure! I’ll give an article on it. It will help you know about it. Okay?
Questions
1 Why does Anusha like going to the gym
2 What are her pastimes?
3 Make a list of Tiya’s pastimes.
4 How will Tiya learn about yoga?
C Read the following texts. Then check ( ) the statements below:
Yoga: Tap into the many health benefits
Suppose your kids are demanding the latest video game, your boss wants that report
done today by five, and your partner wants to know what's for dinner tonight. Stress
and anxiety are everywhere. In this situation, to keep fit as well as to give them the
best you need to do something. And here comes yoga to help you.
Understanding yoga
Yoga is a kind of posture and breathing exercises. It brings together physical and
mental disciplines to achieve peace of body and mind, helping you relax and manage
stress and anxiety. Traditional yoga puts emphasis on behavior, diet and meditation.
But if you're just looking for better stress management— and not an entire lifestyle
change, yoga can still help. Youga trainers gradually choose easier to complex
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activities for practitioners. However, all practitioners do not necessarily need the
same kinds of practice.
The health benefits of yoga
The potential health benefits of yoga are numerous and may include:
Stress reduction. With its quiet, precise movements, yoga draws your focus
away from your busy, chaotic day and towards calm as you move your body
through poses that require balance and concentration.
Increased fitness. As you learn and refine new poses, you may enjoy
improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. And this means
you're less likely to injure yourself in other physical endeavors or in your daily
activities.
Management of chronic health conditions. Yoga might help with a variety
of health conditions, such as cancer, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia,
fatigue and mood. Yoga can also help reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
Weight loss. If you're overweight or have eating disorder, yoga may help you
make the healthy lifestyle changes necessary to gain control of your eating and
drop those extra pounds.
While you shouldn't expect yoga to cure you or offer you relief 100 percent, it can
help some health conditions when combined with standard treatment. And if you
already enjoy good health, yoga can be an enjoyable supplement to your regular
fitness routine.