The 5-Day Week

contracts, employees, labour, vacation, work, working day, workweek

During the economic depression of the 1930s, the campaign for a 5-day workweek was widespread, particularly in the U.S., where (1) _________ leaders demanded that unemployment be reduced by spreading available work to more (2) _________. In 1933 the hours of (3) _________ in many industries were reduced to 40 per week; the (4) _________ was established at 8 hours.

By the middle of the 20th century most of the countries of
the world had legislation limiting the basic (5) ____________ in non-agricultural industries to 40 or 48 hours. In the U.S., the standard
workweek is generally 40 hours, but many industries have shifted
to a 35-hour week. Standard workweeks of even fewer hours have
been granted to some workers under the provisions of union (6) ________. Surveys indicate, however, that most workers prefer longer (7) __________ and more legal holidays as an alternative to a shorter workweek.

Exercise 7. Choose the proper variant from A, B, C, or D.

1. An employer is a person or a company who cannot _____________.

(A) fire people (C) pay wages and salaries

(B) retire people (D) hire people to work

2. A salary is the money which is paid ____________.

(A) weekly (C) as a premium

(B) monthly (D) as a bonus

3. An employee is a person who _______________.

(A) works for another person (C) hires people to work

(B) works for himself (D) pays injuries received at work

4. Working ___________ is the safety and healthfulness of the work­
place.

(A) atmosphere (C) relations

(B) conditions (D) week

5. ____________ are the earnings, computed generally on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis.

(A) Salaries (C) Payment

(B) Wages (D) Money

6. Architects, writers or doctors get _________ for their professional services.

(A) fees (C) dividend

(B) income (D) wages

7. If you have extra work, for example at night or on holiday, you
may get a _________.

(A) salary (C) premium

(B) wages (D) award

8. If the worker does not fulfill his work or duties, he may be _________.

(A) rewarded (C) spoken

(B) applied (D) fired

9. Most people can earn a _________ only by working for others.

(A) money (C) life

(B) living (D) wages

10. If you get a higher rank, or position with a higher salary you
are said to get ________.

(A) promotion (C) earnings

(B) pension (D) riches

11. A __________ collar relates to workers whose job usually does not

involve manual labour.

(A) white (C) tight

(B) broad (D) red

12. A blue collar relates to industrial workers especially with little knowledge and ______________.

(A) trained (C) experienced

(B) unskilled (D) qualified

13. It is their _________ to provide that the rules are followed.

(A) recruitment (C) negotiations

(B) punctuality (D) responsibility

14. If you earn little money you are said to have a/an ___________ salary.

(A) fixed (C) handsome

(B) modest (D) annual

15. If you want to be recruited, you should ____________ an application.

(A) fulfill (C) accept

(B) submit (D) state

Exercise 8. Choose the right word.

1. The meeting took part/place in the conference room. 2. Allthe employees decided to take part/place in the strike. 3. A lot of people take part/place in the foot race up 86 flights of stairs in the Empire State Building. The race takes part/place annually. 4. Why do you always try to take part/place in their negotiations? It is not your business. 5. A teacher's salary/wages might reach $15,000 per year. 6. In the USA Congress establishes presiden­tial salaries/wages. 7. This employer tends to pay the majority of workers low salaries/wages. 8. The composer Bruckner was greatly honored in Austria, receiving a salary/wages and pension from the government. 9. Working class may be described as part of society consisting of those who work for salaries/wages, often character­ized by manual or industrial laborers. 10. In general anyone who does not play hockey for a salary/wages is considered an amateur. 11. Salaries/Wages are paid to workers; salaries/wages are paid to managers; rent is paid for the use of land; and profit/salary/wages is realized by the owners of businesses as a reward for risk taking. 12. Since 1992 Queen Elizabeth II, one of the richest persons in the world, has been paying taxes on her personal income/salary/wages.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-31