TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Kenneth C. Davis: Why do Americans and Canadians celebrate Labor Day?

Unscramble the Blue Letters

How's this for a sgtarne idea: a day off from work in honor of work itself? Actually, that is what Labor Day, celebrated in the uenitd stteas and Canada on the first Monday of every September, is all about. The first American Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on September 5th, 1882, as thousands of wrokres and their families came to Union sruaqe for a day in the park. It was not a national holiday but had been organized by a union to hnoor workers and their hard efforts with a rare day of rest, halfway between July 4th and Thanksgiving. There were picnics and a parade, but there were also protests. The workers had gertehad, not just to rest and celebrate, but to demand fair wages, the end of child labor, and the right to organize into unions. During the period known as The Industrial rvtoluioen, many jobs were difficult, dirty and dognareus. People worked for twelve hours, six days a week, without fringe benefits, such as vacations, health care and pensions, and if you were young, chances are you were doing manual labor instead of your ABCs and fractions. Children as young as ten worked in some of the most hazardous places, like coal mnies or factories filled with bniolig vats or dangerous mehincas. Trying to win better pay, shorter hours and safer conditions workers had bguen to form labor unions in America and Canada, but the companies they worked for often foguht hard to keep unions out and to supress strikes. At times, this led to violent battles between workers and business owners with the owners often backed up by the police, or even the military. In the following years, the idea of Labor Day cugaht on in America with official clerbntoiaes reaching 30 states. But then came the violent Haymarket Square Riot of 1886, which led to the datehs of several policemen and workers in Chicago and the execution of four union ldeeras. After that, many labor and political groups around the wrold had begun to mark Haymarket Square on May 1st, which became known as International Workers' Day. In 1894, pienrsedt geovrr cneelavld signed the law mniakg Labor Day a federal holiday in America, only days after he had sent 12,000 soldiers to end a violent railroad strike that resulted in the death of several people. The original sptmbeeer date was kept, partly to avoid the more raidacl associations of May 1st. Canada also cretead its Labor Day in 1894. But, in spite of this new holiday, it would be a long time before the changes that workers wenatd became a reailty. In 1938, during the garet Depression that left milnoils without jobs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a law calling for an eight-hour work day, a five-day work week, and an end to child labor, some of the first freadel protections for American workers. As America and Canada celebrate lboar Day, most of the two countries' children enjoy a day off from school. But it is inmpoartt to remember that there was a time that eedryavy was a labor day for children in America and Canada, and unfortunately, the same fact rnmiaes true for millions of children around the world today.

Open Cloze

How's this for a _______ idea: a day off from work in honor of work itself? Actually, that is what Labor Day, celebrated in the ______ ______ and Canada on the first Monday of every September, is all about. The first American Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on September 5th, 1882, as thousands of _______ and their families came to Union ______ for a day in the park. It was not a national holiday but had been organized by a union to _____ workers and their hard efforts with a rare day of rest, halfway between July 4th and Thanksgiving. There were picnics and a parade, but there were also protests. The workers had ________, not just to rest and celebrate, but to demand fair wages, the end of child labor, and the right to organize into unions. During the period known as The Industrial __________, many jobs were difficult, dirty and _________. People worked for twelve hours, six days a week, without fringe benefits, such as vacations, health care and pensions, and if you were young, chances are you were doing manual labor instead of your ABCs and fractions. Children as young as ten worked in some of the most hazardous places, like coal _____ or factories filled with _______ vats or dangerous ________. Trying to win better pay, shorter hours and safer conditions workers had _____ to form labor unions in America and Canada, but the companies they worked for often ______ hard to keep unions out and to supress strikes. At times, this led to violent battles between workers and business owners with the owners often backed up by the police, or even the military. In the following years, the idea of Labor Day ______ on in America with official ____________ reaching 30 states. But then came the violent Haymarket Square Riot of 1886, which led to the ______ of several policemen and workers in Chicago and the execution of four union _______. After that, many labor and political groups around the _____ had begun to mark Haymarket Square on May 1st, which became known as International Workers' Day. In 1894, _________ ______ _________ signed the law ______ Labor Day a federal holiday in America, only days after he had sent 12,000 soldiers to end a violent railroad strike that resulted in the death of several people. The original _________ date was kept, partly to avoid the more _______ associations of May 1st. Canada also _______ its Labor Day in 1894. But, in spite of this new holiday, it would be a long time before the changes that workers ______ became a _______. In 1938, during the _____ Depression that left ________ without jobs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a law calling for an eight-hour work day, a five-day work week, and an end to child labor, some of the first _______ protections for American workers. As America and Canada celebrate _____ Day, most of the two countries' children enjoy a day off from school. But it is _________ to remember that there was a time that ________ was a labor day for children in America and Canada, and unfortunately, the same fact _______ true for millions of children around the world today.

Solution

machines
boiling
remains
radical
making
celebrations
square
cleveland
united
begun
federal
states
important
wanted
fought
president
reality
gathered
world
mines
leaders
dangerous
caught
grover
honor
revolution
great
workers
september
strange
deaths
labor
millions
created
everyday

Original Text

How's this for a strange idea: a day off from work in honor of work itself? Actually, that is what Labor Day, celebrated in the United States and Canada on the first Monday of every September, is all about. The first American Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on September 5th, 1882, as thousands of workers and their families came to Union Square for a day in the park. It was not a national holiday but had been organized by a union to honor workers and their hard efforts with a rare day of rest, halfway between July 4th and Thanksgiving. There were picnics and a parade, but there were also protests. The workers had gathered, not just to rest and celebrate, but to demand fair wages, the end of child labor, and the right to organize into unions. During the period known as The Industrial Revolution, many jobs were difficult, dirty and dangerous. People worked for twelve hours, six days a week, without fringe benefits, such as vacations, health care and pensions, and if you were young, chances are you were doing manual labor instead of your ABCs and fractions. Children as young as ten worked in some of the most hazardous places, like coal mines or factories filled with boiling vats or dangerous machines. Trying to win better pay, shorter hours and safer conditions workers had begun to form labor unions in America and Canada, but the companies they worked for often fought hard to keep unions out and to supress strikes. At times, this led to violent battles between workers and business owners with the owners often backed up by the police, or even the military. In the following years, the idea of Labor Day caught on in America with official celebrations reaching 30 states. But then came the violent Haymarket Square Riot of 1886, which led to the deaths of several policemen and workers in Chicago and the execution of four union leaders. After that, many labor and political groups around the world had begun to mark Haymarket Square on May 1st, which became known as International Workers' Day. In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed the law making Labor Day a federal holiday in America, only days after he had sent 12,000 soldiers to end a violent railroad strike that resulted in the death of several people. The original September date was kept, partly to avoid the more radical associations of May 1st. Canada also created its Labor Day in 1894. But, in spite of this new holiday, it would be a long time before the changes that workers wanted became a reality. In 1938, during the Great Depression that left millions without jobs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a law calling for an eight-hour work day, a five-day work week, and an end to child labor, some of the first federal protections for American workers. As America and Canada celebrate Labor Day, most of the two countries' children enjoy a day off from school. But it is important to remember that there was a time that everyday was a labor day for children in America and Canada, and unfortunately, the same fact remains true for millions of children around the world today.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
labor day	5
haymarket square	2

Important Words

abcs
america
american
associations
avoid
backed
battles
begun
benefits
boiling
business
calling
canada
care
caught
celebrate
celebrated
celebrations
chances
chicago
child
children
city
cleveland
coal
companies
conditions
created
dangerous
date
day
days
death
deaths
demand
depression
difficult
dirty
efforts
enjoy
everyday
execution
fact
factories
fair
families
federal
filled
form
fought
fractions
franklin
fringe
gathered
great
groups
grover
halfway
hard
haymarket
hazardous
health
holiday
honor
hours
idea
important
industrial
international
jobs
july
labor
law
leaders
led
left
long
machines
making
manual
mark
military
millions
mines
monday
national
official
organize
organized
original
owners
parade
park
partly
pay
pensions
people
period
picnics
places
police
policemen
political
president
protections
protests
radical
railroad
rare
reaching
reality
remains
remember
rest
resulted
revolution
riot
roosevelt
safer
school
september
shorter
signed
soldiers
spite
square
states
strange
strike
strikes
supress
ten
thanksgiving
thousands
time
times
today
true
twelve
union
unions
united
vacations
vats
violent
wages
wanted
week
win
work
worked
workers
world
years
york
young