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.
参考译文
规划活动
在这个忙碌的社会中，空闲时间对我们而言是非常珍贵的。找个时间放松一下并且恢复精力以面对接踵而来的挑战是很重要的。每个人喜欢的休闲方式各不相同。有些人喜欢规划活动以充分利用休闲时间，而有些人却宁愿不做任何规划。这两种想法都各有优点。
当人们仔细规划休闲时间后，就不会浪费时间做决定，或是最后才匆促地准备。这样做能节省时间，因此会让他们觉得可以享有的空闲时间。事先规划也让人们可以利用机会去参加某些受限制的活动。例如，假如事先有规划，就可买到晚一点就买不到的音乐会或戏剧演出的门票。最后，为活动做好准备不仅可以节省时间，还能让旅游更添乐趣和意义。当你一时兴起去海边玩，而到达之后才发现泳衣放在家里时，可能就太扫兴了。
然而，对休闲时间不作任何规划也有好处。因为不用参加特定的活动，也没有和朋友相约在某个时间见面，所以不作规划的人就能在最后一刻改变主意并利用机会。而且，假使有人一整个礼拜都在期待能去看棒球比赛，若球赛因雨取消，这实在是一件非常令人失望的事。最后一项要点是，不做计划的休闲时间能使人更加放松。在工作日，我们必须都很准时，且要面临最后期限的压力。有些人希望空闲时间能尽可能和工作时有所不同。
虽然规划或不规划休闲时间都各有好处，但我还是比较喜欢规划我的休闲活动。我的空闲时间有限，因此要尽量善加利用。事先做好规划，我就能参加想要参加的活动，见我想要见的人。而且假如计划因非预期的情况而有所改变时，我还可以采用另一个替代方案。