Review the beginning of this article about Chinese factory workers, which you read for this lesson. What Does Your Cell Phone Co
st (the Average Chinese Worker)? In most parts of the United States, daily life is dominated by wireless Internet technology and the glow of video screens. Many Americans find it hard to imagine going an entire day without texting someone on our cell phones, listening to music on our iPods, or watching a movie or television show on our widescreen HDTVs. To some of us, electronic devices feel as necessary to our existence as air and food. Yet how many of us understand or appreciate the lives that are spent manufacturing these “essential” goods? Indeed, few Americans would be willing to trade places with the workers who build the electronics we use every day, all day. What is the FIRST indication of the author's position on cheap Chinese labor?
The first indication is in the title. "What does your cell phone cost the average Chinese worker?"
Explanation:. The title implies that there is a cost,-- not necessarily the money- but the quality of life of workers in factories where conditions may be unhealthy, the hours long, and the work tedious.
The next hint is that "few American workers would be willing to trade places."
