Planning Activities
    In this busy society， our free time is very valuable to us. It is important that we take some time to relax and renew our energy in order to face the challenges ahead of us. Different people like to spend their leisure time in different ways. Some like to plan their activities so that they can make the most of the time available while others prefer not to plan anything. Both schools of thought have their advantages. When people carefully plan their leisure time， they will not waste any time on decision making or last-minute preparations. This saves them time and， therefore， makes them feel that they have more free time to enjoy. Planning ahead also allows people to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in certain restricted activities. For example， by planning ahead， they can buy tickets for a concert or play that may later be sold out. Finally， being better prepared for an activity not only saves time but can make the outing more fun and more meaningful. It is not much fun to make a spontaneous trip to the beach only to find you have left your swimsuit at home. However， unplanned leisure time also has its advantages. With no commitment to take part in a certain activity or meet a friend at a certain hour， the non-planner can take advantage of last minute changes and opportunities. Furthermore， he will not be disappointed should his plans fall through， because he has made none. On the other hand， if someone has looked forward to a baseball game all week， it is very disappointing if it is cancelled due to rain. Last but not least， unplanned leisure time can be more relaxing. During the work week， we must all be punctual and face deadlines. Some people prefer to make their free time as different from that as possible. Although both planned and unplanned leisure time have their benefits， I still prefer to plan my free time activities. My free time is limited， and so I want to make the best use of it. By planning ahead， I can take part in the activities that I want and spend time with the people I want to see. And in case my plans should be changed by unforeseen circumstances， I can always go to Plan B.
    參考譯文：
    規(guī)劃活動
    在這個忙碌的社會中，空閑時間對我們而言是非常珍貴的。找個時間放松一下并且恢復(fù)精力以面對接踵而來的挑戰(zhàn)是很重要的。每個人喜歡的休閑方式各不相同。有些人喜歡規(guī)劃活動以充分利用休閑時間，而有些人卻寧愿不做任何規(guī)劃。這兩種想法都各有優(yōu)點。
    當(dāng)人們仔細(xì)規(guī)劃休閑時間后，就不會浪費時間做決定，或是最后才匆促地準(zhǔn)備。這樣做能節(jié)省時間，因此會讓他們覺得可以享有更多的空閑時間。事先規(guī)劃也讓人們可以利用機會去參加某些受限制的活動。例如，假如事先有規(guī)劃，就可買到晚一點就買不到的音樂會或戲劇演出的門票。最后，為活動做好準(zhǔn)備不僅可以節(jié)省時間，還能讓旅游更添樂趣和意義。當(dāng)你一時興起去海邊玩，而到達(dá)之后才發(fā)現(xiàn)泳衣放在家里時，可能就太掃興了。
    然而，對休閑時間不作任何規(guī)劃也有好處。因為不用參加特定的活動，也沒有和朋友相約在某個時間見面，所以不作規(guī)劃的人就能在最后一刻改變主意并利用機會。而且，假使有人一整個禮拜都在期待能去看棒球比賽，若球賽因雨取消，這實在是一件非常令人失望的事。最后一項要點是，不做計劃的休閑時間能使人更加放松。在工作日，我們必須都很準(zhǔn)時，且要面臨最后期限的壓力。有些人希望空閑時間能盡可能和工作時有所不同。
    雖然規(guī)劃或不規(guī)劃休閑時間都各有好處，但我還是比較喜歡規(guī)劃我的休閑活動。我的空閑時間有限，因此要盡量善加利用。事先做好規(guī)劃，我就能參加想要參加的活動，見我想要見的人。而且假如計劃因非預(yù)期的情況而有所改變時，我還可以采用另一個替代方案。