A. Look at the picture and talk about it
1. What do you see in the picture?
2. Can you relate any historical event to this Air
picture? What happened on this day?
B. Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
May Day or International Workers' Day is observed on May 1 all over the world today to commemorate the historical struggle and sacrifices of the working people to establish an eight-hour workday. It is a public holiday in almost all the countries of the world.
Since the Industrial Revolution^ in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and the US, the workers in mills and factories had been working a long shift, fourteen or even more hours a day.
On May 1st in 1886, inspired by the trade unions(2), half of the workers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company in Chicago went on strike demanding an eight-hour workday. Two days later, a workers' rally was held near the McCormick Harvester Machine Company and about 6000 workers joined it. The rally was addressed by the labour leaders.
They urged the workers to stand together, to go on with their struggle and not to give in to their bosses. At one point of the rally, some strikebreakers started leaving the meeting place. The strikers went down the street to bring them back. Suddenly about 200 policemen attacked them with clubs and revolvers. One striker was killed instantly, five or six others were seriously wounded and many others were injured.
The events of May 1, 1886 are a reminder that workers will continue to be exploited until they stand up and speak out to gain better working conditions, better pay and better lives.
Notes
1. Industrial Revolution: the period, especially in the 18tb and 19th centuries Europe, when machines were invented and first factories were established.
2. Trade Union: an organisation that represents workers of mills and factories.
Questions
1 What does May Day refer to?
2 How long did the workers have to work in a day before the May 1 strike?
3 Why did the workers in Chicago go on a strike?
4 What do you learn from the events of May 1, 1886?
C. Fill in the blanks with the verbs given in the box. Put them into their correct forms.
add
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arrive
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begin
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do
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hear
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live
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send
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support
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tread
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work
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Tania is a poor garment worker. She......in a big garment factory in Gazipur. She......in a slum with a few fellow workers. She works eight hours a day on a monthly salary of Tk. 3000/-. She does overtime to......some more money to her income. If she can save something, she......it to her father to......the family. One day Tania was busy her work in the factory. Suddenly she......someone shouting "Fire! Fire!" The workers were panic-stricken and everyone......to rush to the stairs. There were not enough staircases in the factory building. So some workers were......under the foot and others were injured in some other ways. However, the fire brigade ......there in minutes and nothing serious happened.
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