Sharing ideas

A. Issues

Debate these issues in small groups. Then choose one and write about it.

1. Which is better: to borrow money from a bank in order to start your own business or to wait until you have enough to go into business with your own money?

2. Is it better to be employed by a company or self-employed?

3. Should government employees (for example, teachers, police, and fire-fighters) be allowed to go on strike, or is this too harmful to society?

B. On a personal note

Write about one of these topics.

1. Would you like to own your own business some day? Why or why not?

2. Do you use a credit or debit card? Does it help you or create problems for you?

3. Do you think people should ever borrow money? Under what circumstances do you consider this a good idea?

4. Another trend in the American workplace concerns how people dress. In the 1990s, "casual Friday" became very popular. Do you think that the way people dress affects how they work? Explain why.

The American Worker

BEFORE YOU READ

Discuss

1. If workers are not satisfied with their salary or working conditions, what can they do?

2. What is the difference between a blue-collar job and a white-collar job?

3. If you owned your own business, what kinds of benefits would you provide for your employees?

Guess

Try to answer the questions. Then look for the answers in the reading.

1. How many hours a week does the average American work? Check (Ö) one:

____ 37 ____ 47 ____ 57

2. What percentage of the American work force is female? Check (Ö) one:

____ almost 20% ____ almost 35% _____ almost 50%

3. About how many Americans earn more than $1 million a year? Check (Ö) one:

____ 30,000 ____ 140,000 ____ 300,000

The American Worker

A Holiday that Honors Workers

It's called Labor Day, but it is certainly not a time for hard work. On the contrary, it's a day set aside for relaxation and fun, a time for parades and speeches honoring the achievements of the American work force (about 140 million people). Throughout the U.S.A., Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September.

The origins of this holiday date back to a time when American employees did not have the kind of income, protections, and benefits that they do today. The story of Labor Day began with the dream of a man named Peter J. McGuire. McGuire was born in 1852, long before the U.S. had laws prohibiting child labor. He was the tenth child in a poor family. To help support his brothers and sisters, he went to work in a furniture factory when he was only 11 years old. He became a carpenter and, eventually, the president of a national union of carpenters. McGuire wanted to establish a holiday "to honor the in­dustrial spirit, the great vital force of this nation." In 1882, he and a machinist named Matthew Maguire suggested that New York City hold a parade to honor workers. Some 10,000 people showed up to participate! In 1894, Labor Day became a federal holiday, and it was quickly adopted by all the states.

Parades and speeches are just one aspect of the Labor Day holiday. Since Labor Day is a 3-day weekend for most workers and students, many people use it to enjoy the out­doors with friends and family on this last summer holiday.

Check your comprehension.

What is the purpose of Labor Day?

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16