Women's Day

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. Countries around the world
celebrate IWD to give credit to the economic, political and social achievements of women and to
show respect to their contributions in the development of their countries. The IWD was first
celebrated on 19 March 1911 in Germany following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.
It's only in the beginning of the 20th century that the day was officially and internationally
acknowledged due to the rapid industrialization and the social protest that it accompanied.

On this day women are usually given flowers and small gifts. It is also celebrated as an equivalent of
Mother's Day in some countries. Children also give small gifts to their mothers and grandmothers. In
countries like Portugal, it is customary, at the night of 8 March, for groups of women to celebrate
the holiday with women-only dinners and parties. In 1975, the United Nations gave official sanction
to and started financing International Women's Day.

Although, women are becoming more powerful in business, entertainment, politics and many more
areas, there are still a lot of inequalities around the world which call for the mobilization of
everybody to grant women the proper status they merit.

Source: Wikipedia

Comprehension:
1. When was the first IWD celebrated?
a. In the end of the 20th century
b. In the middle of the 20th century
c. Early in the 20th century.

2. Social unrest and industrialization were some of the causes that led to IWD
a. True
b. False

3. The IWD is celebrated _____ around the world

a. similarly
b. differently

4. Women still need to fight

a. for more equality
b. for higher wages

International Workers' Day

The struggle to have eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest was
the origin of International Workers' Day, which is also referred to as May Day or Labor Day. The
celebration commemorates the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886, when Chicago police shoot
workers who were striking to establish the eight hour day. Many workers died in the event.

Historically, the first congress of the Second International, which was an organization of socialist and
labor parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889, called for international demonstrations on the 1890
anniversary of the Chicago protests. In 1891, the Second International recognized May Day as an
annual event. In 1904, Social Democratic Party organizations and trade unions of all countries were
called on to demonstrate actively on May First to establish eight hours of work a day and to get
workers rights. Unions of all countries were urged to go on strike on May 1 wherever it is possible
without injury to the workers.

Most countries celebrate International Workers' Day on May 1st, except in the United States and
Canada, where Labor Day is held in September. Millions of working people and their labor unions, all
over the world, organize street demonstrations and street marches. Several countries celebrate the
day with parades, shows and other patriotic and labor-oriented events. Governments are urged to
readjust salaries and wages and to acknowledge workers rights to strike and hold unions.

Source: Wikipedia

Comprehension:
5. International Workers' Day was first held to
a. ask for the right to work
b. to establish 8 hours work a day.

6. May first was recognized as an annual event in

a. 1890
b. 1891

7. International Workers' day

a. is celebrated every where in the world on the same day
b. is celebrated on a different day in some countries

8. Workers are asked to go on strike

a. peacefully
b. by using force against the police.

The Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World
War II. In most countries the depression started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or
early 1940s. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. In the
21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how far the world's economy
can decline.

The depression originated in the U.S. Economic historians usually attribute the start of the Great
Depression to the sudden devastating collapse of US stock market prices on October 29, 1929,
known as Black Tuesday;[9] some dispute this conclusion, and see the stock crash as a symptom,
rather than a cause, of the Great Depression

There were multiple causes for the first downturn in 1929 but the real causes are still unclear.
Historians emphasize structural factors like major bank failures and the stock market crash. In
contrast, some economists point to monetary factors such as actions by the US Federal Reserve that
contracted the money supply, as well as Britain's decision to return to the Gold Standard at pre–
World War I parities.

The Great Depression had devastating effects in virtually every country, rich and poor. Personal
income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, while international trade plunged by more than
50%. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25%, and in some countries rose as high as 33%. Cities all
around the world were hit hard, especially those dependent on heavy industry. Construction was
virtually halted in many countries. Farming and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by
approximately 60%. Facing plummeting demand with few alternate sources of jobs, areas dependent
on primary sector industries such as cash cropping, mining and logging suffered the most.

Some economies started to recover by the mid-1930s; in many countries the negative effects of the
Great Depression lasted until the start of World War II

Adapted from Wikipedia

Comprehension:
9. The Great Depression started in the 40s.
a. True
b. False

10. The causes of The Great Depression are not evident.

a. True
b. False

11. The Great depression had equal devastating effects on both agricultural and industrial
sectors.
a. True
b. False

12. Economic recovery started during world war II.

a. True,
b. False

Trade / labor unions

Trade unions or labor unions first appeared in Europe as a result of the industrial revolution.
Workers were at the mercy of the employer. They were underpaid, lacked any sort of training, and
sometimes mistreated. When trade unions emerged, they became powerful organizations. Workers
got together and organized themselves to make sure that employers do not exploit them any more.

Nowadays, the main goal of trade unions is to negotiate labor contracts with employers. The leaders
of trade unions speak on behalf of workers and are predominantly worried about wages, working
conditions and the laws that govern the hiring, firing and promotion of workers. In some cases
unions may call for strikes to force employers to negotiate a deal or they may promote political
legislation favorable to the interests of their members or workers as a whole. To achieve this aim
they may support and get closely linked to particular political parties.

Some people blame unions for creating tense atmosphere between employers and employees.
Others even accuse them of engendering relentless inflation. But the truth is that the working
conditions have changed tremendously since the industrial revolution. Unions have contributed to
considerably improve the standard of living. For instance, child labor is now prohibited by law. What
is more, unions have also been credited for introducing minimum wage limits and for forbidding
disreputable employers to exploit and mistreat their workers.
Source: Wikipedia

Comprehension:
13. Workers
a. were well treated during the industrial revolution
b. had hard times during the industrial revolution.

14. Strikes are a way to

a. force employers to accept negotiation.
b. cause disturbance and damage at the work place.

15. Trade unions

a. never have any relationship with politics
b. may be linked to politics.

16. Trade unions

a. are responsible for much of the social unrest.
b. have improved the workers' standard of living.

Why do people change their careers?

The last data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics through the National Longitudinal
Survey of Youth in 1979 showed that individuals between the ages of 18 and 38 will hold more than
10 jobs. According to an article on Time.com, one out of three people currently employed spends
about an hour per day searching for another position. The article lists these as the top reasons why
people may change careers, based on a survey conducted by Right Management:

1 .The downsizing or the restructuring of an organization (54%).

2. New challenges or opportunities that arise (30%).

3. Poor or ineffective leadership (25%).

4. Having a poor relationship with a manager(s) (22%).

5. For the improvement of a better work/life balance (21%).

6. Contributions are not being recognized (21%).

7. For better compensation and benefits (18%),

8. For better alignment with personal and organizational values (17%).

9. Personal strengths and capabilities are not a good fit with an organization (16%).

10. The financial instability of an organization (13%).

11. An organization relocated (12%).

Source: Wikipedia