LABOR DAY- IN THE US

Labor Day is a national holiday to celebrate workers in the United States. The holiday, on the first Monday of September, is on September 2 this year.

For Americans, the holiday also informally marks the end of summer. The hot days of summer turn to cooler days ahead. Students are returning to school. Many celebrate the holiday with an outdoor barbecue or one more weekend at the beach.

Origin of Labor Day

But Labor Day started with a struggle.

On May 1, 1889, workers demonstrated on the streets of Paris, France. The demonstration led to International Labor Day. Most countries in the world, except the United States and Canada, celebrate Labor Day on the first of May.

The first American Labor Day celebration was held on September 5, 1882, in New York City. About 10,000 workers marched through the streets to show the strength of labor organizations.

For many years after that, American workers used the first Monday in September to demand better working conditions and pay. Several U.S. cities and states began to recognize the day as Labor Day. In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a bill into law making it a national holiday.

Music was a part of many Labor Day marches.

One American labor song is called Bread and Roses. It is based on a 1911 poem by James Oppenheim. The poem speaks about the women’s labor movement. At that time, conditions in factories, where many women worked, were horrible. A fire at a clothing factory in New York killed 146 people. Most of the victims were immigrant women.

Labor Day activities

For the three-day Labor Day weekend, many Americans head to airports and highways for end-of-summer escapes. They visit beaches, mountains or lakes. Some prepare outdoor cookouts for family and friends.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) said, “Americans see the extended Labor Day weekend as an opportunity to say farewell to summer with one final trip.” The group said Labor Day weekend travel in the U.S. went up nine percent compared to last year.

Robert F. Moss is a barbecue expert and historian. He wrote the book Barbecue: The History of an American Institution. Moss said barbecue was already an American tradition when the labor movements developed in the late 19th century. He noted that it was a natural way to celebrate as large groups gathered.

“It still has a lot of that same communal sense, gathering around the grill, eating together,” he told the Associated Press.

Not wearing white after Labor Day

Americans also have a saying that one should not wear white after Labor Day.

That may sound strange, but it is true. Many Americans put away their white clothes on Labor Day and do not wear them again until the following May, after Memorial Day.

One reason for the clothing custom relates to the season. In the U.S., the months between June and September are summer. The weather is usually hot and people wear light-colored clothing to keep cool.

Clothing experts say it likely goes back to the Gilded Age — the same period in the late 1800s that started Labor Day. Wealthy New Yorkers in places such as Newport, Rhode Island, would put away their cool, white clothing at the end of the summer. And they returned to the city with darker, heavier clothes for dirt-packed streets.

After the pandemic, many businesses and people have turned to more relaxed clothing. So the saying, or rule, might not be true anymore.

But you may want to be careful about wearing white to an American-style Labor Day barbecue. The trouble is not fashion – it is ketchup. If it spills, the popular red tomato sauce can ruin that nice set of white clothes.

I'm Andrew Smith. And I'm Caty Weaver.

Hai Do, Mario Ritter Jr., Kelly Jean Kelly, Jerilyn Watson and Nancy Steinbach contributed to this report. Additional information came from The Associated Press and the AAA.

LEARNING ENGLISH- PRONOUN: CASH AND CREDIT CARD

WORDS IN TELEPHON CONVERSATION

AUDIO

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

https://www.reverso.net/traducci%C3%B3n-texto

On today’s show we talk about some expressions that deal with an important device in our lives – our phones. 

 With a smartphone, we can connect to the world. In fact, we can say smartphones give us the world at our fingertips. 

 Needless to say, we use phones to stay in contact with the people in our lives. We use them to reach out to our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. 

 So, when we tell someone that we are just a phone call away, what we are really telling them is that we are available. We are there for them. We often use this expression to offer help to someone who is in a difficult situation or just in need of a friendly voice. 

For example, let’s say my friend is having a hard time with an advanced English course. The assignments are difficult, the material is hard to understand, and his teacher has not been answering his emails. I can say to him, “Look, if you ever need help, I’m just a phone call away. Call anytime!”

It’s good to be available to some people some of the time.

But maybe not all the time.

We all have someone in our lives who contacts us too much. They may blow up our phones with a flood of calls and text messages. When your phone blows up, someone is trying to contact you repeatedly.

Here's an example. Let’s say your neighbor, Jana, is having trouble with another neighbor, Jake. And you are in the middle of it. They are both blowing up your phone with calls and texts about their disagreement. You can tell them, “Hold the phone! Just stop! Talk to each other and work out your problems because I’ve had enough.”

The expression hold the phone is a way to say “wait” or “stop.” We use it when we hear something surprising or when we have had enough of a situation.

And it doesn’t have to be about phone calls or texts. For example, let’s say a friend tells me that my favorite singer is coming to town. I can’t believe it! So, I can say, “Hold the phone! Are you serious?” It's like saying, "Hold on a minute!"

Now, let’s go back to your arguing neighbors, Jana and Jake. Let’s say they take your advice. They are willing to work out their problems. They try to call each other but the keep missing each other’s calls. First Jana calls Jake, but he isn’t available. Then Jake calls her back, but now Jana isn’t available. They play phone tag like this for days until they finally speak to each other.

Tag is a child’s game. One person is “it” and must chase and tag, or touch, the other children. So, phone tag is when two people try to contact each other but their calls go unanswered.

At least Jake and Jana are trying to work out their problems. When it comes to keeping relationships happy in the neighborhood, they are not phoning it in.

When we phone it in, we don’t try our best at something. We don’t give our best efforts. For example, some people who lose interest in their jobs might start phoning it in. They stop trying and do not do their best work.

That's not the case with us here at VOA Learning English. we are not phoning it in. We work hard every day to bring you new learning English content.

And that’s all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.

Until next time, I’m Anna Matteo.

Anna Matteo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.

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PRONOUNS THIS SENTENCES: I WOULD LIKE A... I WOULD LIKE AN...

HACER VÍDEOS ANIMADOS DE PIZARRA BLANCA (Una mano dibujando)

SONGS,,,, BY CHILDREN

DON´T WORRY!!! BE HAPPY!!! 

   

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (Official Music Video) 

 LETTER 

Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy

In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry, you make it double
Don't worry, be happy

Don't worry, be happy now
Oh, ooh

Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy
Oh, ooh

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy

The land-lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy

Look at me, I'm happy

Don't worry, be happy

Let me give you my phone number
When you worry, call me I will make you happy

Don't worry, be happy

Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no girl to make you smile
Don't worry, be happy

'Cause when you worry your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy

Don't worry, be happy now
Oh, ooh

Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy
Oh, ooh

Don't worry, don't worry, don't do it, be happy
Let the smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this

Don't worry, it will soon pass
What ever it is

Don't worry, be happy

I am not worried, I am happy

Study: Free School Meals Linked to Reduction in Childhood Obesity

VOA

FILE - In this Friday, April 5, 2019 photo, a student buys lunch in the cafeteria at Burlington High School in Burlington, Vermont. (AP Photo/Wilson Ring)

Research published in March found that a free meal program in schools was connected with a reduction in childhood obesity in the United States. 

 Anna Localio and Jessica Jones-Smith from the University of Washington are two of the researchers who studied the health effects of nutrition-related policies. Their study was published last month in the medical publication Pediatrics.

 The two wrote in The Conversation about their research on a federal program called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). That program, started in 2014, permits schools in high-poverty areas to provide free meals in the morning and noon to all their students. 

 History of free school meals 

 In 1946, the U.S. created the National School Lunch Program aiming to protect the health and well-being of American children. Participating schools were required to provide free or reduced-price meals at noon, called lunches, to children from eligible families. Eligibility is determined by income based on federal poverty levels. 

 The School Breakfast Program came in 1966. It provides free, reduced-price, and full-price breakfasts, or meals in the morning, to students. 

 The Community Eligibility Provision permits all students in a school to receive free breakfast and lunch, instead of determining eligibility by individual families. Entire schools or school systems are eligible for free lunches if at least 40 percent of their students are directly eligible to receive free meals.

 Localio and Jones-Smith say the CEP increases school meal participation by “reducing the stigma” linked to receiving free meals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government expanded the program to more school systems across the country. By the 2022-23 school year, over 40,000 schools were participating, an increase of more than 20 percent over the prior year. 

 Research on the effects of free meals 

 The researchers examined whether providing free meals at school through CEP was connected with lower childhood obesity before the pandemic. 

 To do this, they measured changes in obesity from 2013 to 2019 among 3,531 California schools in poorer communities. The researchers used over 3.5 million body mass index (BMI) measurements of students in fifth, seventh and ninth grade that were taken yearly and combined at the school level. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. 

 The researchers looked at differences between schools that participated in the program and eligible schools that did not. They followed the same schools over time, comparing obesity among students before and after the policy change. 

 The researchers found that schools participating in the CEP program had a 2.4 percent reduction in levels of obesity in students compared with eligible schools that did not participate in the program.

 Localio and Jones-Smith wrote that “even small improvements in obesity levels are notable because effective strategies to reduce obesity at a population level remain elusive.”

FILE - Apples and orange slices rest in trays for student lunch at the Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School, in Essex Junction, Vt., Thursday, June 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

They added that because obesity affects poor and minority children more than others, this policy could help to reduce health inequalities. 

 The CEP likely reduces the amount of obesity by substituting up to half of a child’s weekly diet with healthier food, the research found. 

 Research has shown that school meals can be healthier than meals from other sources, including meals at home. One study found that school meals provide the best diet quality of any major U.S. food source.

 At the same time, the free meals save about $4.70 a day per child or $850 per year. For low and middle-income families, this could result in savings that can be used for other healthy goods or services. 

 Expanding access to school meals 

 Childhood obesity has been increasing over the past several decades. Obesity often continues into adulthood and is linked to many health conditions and early death. 

 Growing research shows the benefits of universal free school meals for the health and well-being of children. Along with the study of California schools, other researchers have found an association between universal free school meals and reduced obesity in Chile, South Korea and Britain. 

 Studies have also linked the CEP program to improvements in school performance and reductions in suspensions. 

 Universal free meals policies may slow the rise in childhood obesity rates, "but they alone will not be enough to reverse these trends,” Localio and Jones-Smith say. Alongside free meals, identifying other strategies to reduce obesity among children is necessary to address this public health issue, they say.

 I’m Dan Friedell. 

 And I'm Anna Mateo. 

 Anna Localio and Jessica Jones-Smith wrote this story for The Conversation. Dan Novak adapted it for VOA Learning English. Quiz - Study: Free School Meals Linked to Reduction in Childhood Obesity

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Quiz - Study: Free School Meals Linked to Reduction in Childhood Obesity Start the Quiz to find out   Meals Linked to Reduction in Childhood Obesity Start the Quiz to find out 

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Words in This Story

obesity — n. fat in a way that is unhealthy 

eligible — n. able to be chosen for something 

stigma — n. a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something 

strategy — n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time 

elusive — adj. hard to find or capture 

income — n. money that is earned from work, investments, business, etc.