Important events - Module 8B

B2 First · Multiple Matching · First Expert Student's Resource Book, Pearson Education

You are going to read an article about four people and their hobbies. For questions 1–10, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.

Katie Holleran: accountant

When you mention windsurfing to people, they generally imagine suntanned 20-year-olds. But the sport has matured since it started in the 1960s and so have its participants. Any reasonably fit person can do it, and age isn't a barrier. Beginners need enough strength in their arms to pull themselves back up onto the board after falling off. In the early days, sails and boards were made of heavy materials like polyethylene, and the sport was very physical. But improved technology has changed all that. And you don't have to live by the sea – 50 percent of windsurfing takes place on inland lakes and reservoirs. I used to have a boat but with that you always need other people to help you. And you're not allowed to take a boat on some lakes, whereas you can windsurf anywhere.

Kevin Shaw: builder

It's become a tradition in our household that I make an Indian curry every Monday evening. I wanted to learn how to make my dishes more authentic, so I signed up for a cookery course at a top Indian restaurant in London. Every time I go, I learn something new and I'm now building up quite a repertoire of curry recipes. Andy, the head chef, is also a qualified teacher, which is a big advantage of the course. He explains how the herbs, spices, oils and rice used in Indian cooking are combined to get subtle variations in flavour. After all the theory, we go down to the kitchen to observe Andy and his team of highly-qualified chefs in action and then, of course, we get to sample the dishes we've learned to cook.

Karen Hallstrom: salesperson

When I tell people I race vintage cars from the 1920s and 1930s, one question they're sure to ask is: 'Do you wear 1920s outfits, too?' No, it's the polite version of my answer. I have to wear fireproof overalls and a helmet in order to meet modern safety laws, I'm afraid. Things have changed in other ways since the old days, too. To be allowed to race my cars, I had to pass both written and practical tests. That wasn't difficult, but then vintage cars aren't a novelty to me: they were part of my upbringing. I used to spend hours, bored stiff, with my fingers stuck in my ears while my father watched races at the local motor-racing track. I said it was the last thing I'd ever do. But when I was a bit older, I too fell in love with cars, first driving a vintage model at age 17.

Joe Campilos: office worker

I'm lucky because, within reason, I can choose what hours I do at the office and this means I have time to combine work with my real passion, which is jazz music. Every weekend, and sometimes on Fridays as well, we play on the street. Not in the main square, as you need to buy a licence for that and it's a bit pricey, but in various places around the city where there are no regulations. People sometimes complain because they think we're beggars but that's not fair. Although we do accept money, because it's the accepted custom, that's not why we're there. It's really a kind of advertisement – if somebody likes what they hear, then they can hire us. We get to do weddings, parties, that sort of thing, which gives us a bit of extra pocket money.

Me and my passion

Four people talk about their hobbies

is too expensive to do in some places?

must conform to certain fixed regulations?

used to be associated with a particular type of person?

involves learning by watching experts in the activity?

fits in well with other commitments?

has become easier thanks to recent improvements in the equipment?

is associated with a certain type of clothing?

sometimes provokes negative reactions in people?

has advantages over another similar hobby?

requires the clever combination of certain materials?

Which person says that their hobby

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