Do you really know｜什么是“爱好约会”？
英音听力｜BBC & 经济学人等
What is hobby dating?
Perhaps you've already experienced that awkward feeling on a 1st date when you don't really know what to say to each other. Having a drink or going to a restaurant are great activities, but they don't always add much to the conversation.
So if you run out of questions, you're often just left staring into each other's eyes and hoping for an opportunity to arise so that you might make a quick getaway. But this might be soon a thing of the past, with the rise of the hobby date. In other words, a date organized around an activity.
What does this involve?
The idea is to introduce your date to something that you already enjoy and share the experience together. This can take completely different forms depending on each person's taste. It might be a cultural outing to a museum, a hike in nature, an arts and crafts class or even a cookery lesson.
The idea is to choose an activity that you love or are curious about, and then invite your partner to take part in it with you. Let's say you book a beginner painting course. It's fun, creative, and creates an opportunity for you to have a shared experience, and so, as well as creating a new memory together, it also allows you to see your date in a different context to the usual 1st date venue.
Didn't this already exist before?
Yes, hobby dating is not new, but it has seen a surge in popularity, and that might be down to COVID. During the various confinements, many people experimented with new activities as a way of keeping themselves busy and passing the time. But although the lockdown ended, our interest in our new hobbies continued.
Namie Walkland, the vice president of Bumble in Europe, noticed that before the pandemic, the norm was to meet up in a bar or cafe, but that nowadays, people are keen to share their interests from the get go.
Consequently on Bumble, the dating app, you can now indicate what your hobbies are. So whether you're into cookery, photography, or crafting, you can share your interests with your potential partner and hopefully avoid those awkward 1st dates.
Do some activities stand out?
Yes and no. It depends on the country and the kind of place people are meeting, in cities, cultural events are very popular, and those living in nature, choose more sporty events. In the USA, hobbies such as DIY, arts and crafts, and board games have seen the biggest rise in popularity. There you have it.
词汇表
getaway [ˈɡetəweɪ] n. 逃离，逃离，脱身
hobby date 爱好约会（以共同兴趣活动为主的约会方式）
outing [ˈaʊtɪŋ] n. 短途旅行，外出游玩
arts and crafts 手工艺，工艺美术
cookery [ˈkʊkəri] n. 烹饪，烹调
venue [ˈvenjuː] n. 场所，聚会地点
surge in popularity [sɜːdʒ] 人气飙升，迅速走红
be down to 归因于，由于
confinement [kənˈfaɪnmənt] n. 封锁，禁闭，限制
pass the time 消磨时间，打发时间
lockdown [ˈlɒkdaʊn] n. 封锁，禁闭
norm [nɔːm] n. 常态，规范，惯例
be keen to [kiːn] 热衷于，渴望
indicate [ˈɪndɪkeɪt] vt. 表明，标示，显示
stand out 突出，显眼，引人注目
board games 棋盘游戏，桌游
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