Q: Frank was clever, but he never liked to work hard. He often said to his friends, "If you work hard, you will make a lot of money, but it is not so good. I want easy work and a lot of money. That's the most interesting thing in the world."So he could only be a thief. But he still thought it was too much work, so he only told his friends what to do and got money from them. One day, Frank sent one of his friends to a very large and beautiful house. He told him to get money from that rich family. It was evening, and a man and a girl were in the room. They were playing a duet on a piano. Then the thief came into the house. When he returned, Frank asked him what he had got. But he said, "I didn't take anything. That family can't have much money. You know, two people were playing on the same piano there. They did not have money to buy another piano."

1. to work hard
2. money
3. to a large and beautiful house
4. a rich family
5. evening
6. two
7. no
8. a man and a girl
9. a piano
10. a duet
11. no
12. one
13. clever

Numbered questions:
1. What did Frank dislike doing?
2. What did he want a lot of?
3. Where did he send one of his friends?
4. From whom did he tell the friend to get money?
5. Was it day or evening?
6. How many people were in the room?
7. Was it a man and a boy?
8. Who then?
9. What were they playing on?
10. What were they playing on it?
11. Did the thief end up taking anything?
12. How many pianos did the family have?
13. Was Frank clever or dumb?

Q: Brasov, Romania (CNN) -- The ruins of Poienari Castle sit high on a mountain peak with a seemingly never-ending vista looking out over deep gorges, charcoal-gray cliffs and mountain streams.

It's a natural paradise, but we did not make the trip to this castle just for the awesome view. Visitors come for its connection to history's most famous vampire, Dracula.

The famous book and the ensuing movies are fiction, but since Bram Stoker published his novel in 1897, the world has been looking to Transylvania (in modern central Romania) as "Count Dracula's" home.

And there is a bit of truth to it. Stoker never visited Eastern Europe, but his famous character is based, in part, on a real 15th-century prince.

Vlad Dracula lived from 1431 to about 1476 and ruled Wallachia, which was actually south of Transylvania. As military leader, he was a hero to his people, and he has a place in the Romanian National Military Museum.

Another museum explains the name "Dracula" is actually a title from the knightly order of the dragon, whose mission was to defend Christianity. Documents he signed "Vlad Dracula" still exist.

A nickname often associated with him is Tepes, which means impaler, and comes from his brutal application of capital punishment by skewering bodies on a wooden spike.

Visiting Dracula's castle

Poienari Castle is not on the main tourist route. In fact, it's pretty hard to get there.

Public transportation is infrequent, and the big tourist town in the region, Brasov, is hours away.

1. Bram Stoker
2. Count Dracula
3. Transylvania
4. No
5. in part
6. Vlad Dracula
7. the 15th-century
8. Yes
9. 1431
10. about 1476
11. he was a prince
12. Wallachia
13. near Transylvania
14. No
15. Yes
16. Tepes
17. Yes
18. impaler
19. because he skewered bodies on a spike.
20. No
21. wood

Numbered questions:
1. who is the author?
2. who did he write about?
3. where did the character live?
4. did the author ever go there?
5. was a real person the inspiration for the character?
6. who?
7. when did he live?
8. do we know the year he was born?
9. what was it?
10. when did he die?
11. what was his occupation?
12. of where?
13. where is that?
14. East of it?
15. was he called something else?
16. what?
17. does it give the meaning of that?
18. what does it mean?
19. why was he called that?
20. a metal one?
21. what was it made of?

Q: CHAPTER IX

The opportunity for an explanation between Jacob and his fellow speculators speedily presented itself. Amongst his letters, on the following morning, Jacob found a somewhat pompous little note from Dane Montague, inviting him to lunch at the Milan at half-past one. Littleham, supremely uncomfortable in a new suit of clothes, was the other guest, and champagne was served before the three men had well taken their places.

"A celebration, eh?" Jacob observed, as he bowed to his two hosts.

Mr. Montague cleared his throat.

"Our meeting might almost be considered in that light," he admitted. "Yesterday afternoon we sold the last plot of land on the Cropstone Wood Estate."

"Capital!" Jacob exclaimed. "Full price?"

"Sixpence a yard over."

Jacob nodded approval.

"By the bye," he said, "I see that the Water Company is getting on very well with its connections. They must have several hundred men at work there."

Mr. Montague appeared a little startled.

"Well, well! At any rate we shall be able to keep our word. Electric light and water will be ready for every house as it is built."

"That reminds me of a question I was going to ask you," Jacob went on. "What price are we going to charge for the electric light?"

"What price?" Montague murmured, balancing a knife upon his forefinger and watching it meditatively.

"The Company'll have to fix that amongst themselves," Littleham declared brusquely.

"One or two of the people who've bought plots have made enquiries," Jacob continued, without noticing the last speaker. "I think they've begun to realise that they're pretty well at our mercy--or rather at the mercy of the Company."

1. Jacob
2. Dane Montague
3. at the Milan
4. at half-past one
5. Littleham
6. champagne
7. yes
8. selling the last plot of land on the Cropstone Wood Estate
9. Sixpence a yard over full price
10. the Water Company
11. several hundred
12. their word
13. electric light and water will be ready for every house as it is built
14. no
15. the Water Company
16. a knife
17. yes
18. one or two

Numbered questions:
1. Who was invited to lunch
2. by who
3. where
4. at what time
5. who else was coming
6. what did they receive before sitting down
7. were they celebrating something
8. what was it
9. for how much
10. what company is mentioned next
11. how many men work there
12. what "word" do they try to keep
13. about what
14. do they know how much will be charged for this
15. who gets to decide that
16. What is Montague balancing
17. Did Jacob ignore Littlehams previous statement
18. How many people have enquired about the utilities