question: When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he had an engineering degree and a high tech job -- but he couldn't balance his checkbook. "I took one finance class in college but dropped it to go on a ski trip," says the 45-year-old father of three, who lives in Windsor, Colorado. "I actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my statement."

One of the biggest obstacles to making money is not understanding it: Thousands of us avoid investing because we just don't get it. But to make money, you must be financially literate. "It bothered me that I didn't understand this stuff," says Steve, "so I read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I asked every financial whiz I knew to explain things to me."

He and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to _ . They never bought on impulse, always negotiated better deals (on their cars,cable bills, furniture) and stayed in their home long after they went for an expensive vacation. They also put 20 percent of their annual salary into investments.

Within ten years, they were millionaires, and people were coming to Steve for advice. "Someone would say, 'I need to refinance my house -- what should I do? 'A lot of times, I wouldn't know the answer, but I'd go to find it and learn something in the process," he says.

In 2003, Steve quit his job to become part owner of a company that holds personal finance seminars for employees of corporations like Wal Mart. He also started going to real estate investment seminars, and it's paid off: He now owns $ 30 million worth of investment properties, including apartment complexes, a shopping mall and a quarry.

"I was an engineer who never thought this life was possible, but all it truly takes is a little self education," says Steve. "You can do anything once you understand the basics."
1. What type of degree did Steve have?
2. Did he have a high-tech job as well?
3. Why did he drop his finance class?
4. How many children does he have?
5. How old is Steve?
6. In what year did Steve quit his job?
7. Is Steve a multi-millionaire?
8. How long did it take him to become a millionaire?
9. Do people ask Steve for advice?
10. How much of his annual salary does he put into Investments?
****
answer: 1. an engineering degree
2. yes
3. to go on a ski trip
4. three
5. 45
6. 2003
7. yes
8. Within ten years
9. yes
10. 20 percent

question: The bourgeoisie (Eng.: ; ) is a polysemous French term that can mean:

The "Bourgeoisie", in its original sense, is intimately linked to the existence of cities recognized as such by their urban charters (e.g. municipal charter, town privileges, German town law) so there was no bourgeoisie "outside the walls of the city" beyond which the people were "peasants" submitted to the stately courts and manorialism (except for the traveling "Fair bourgeoisie" living outside urban territories, who retained their city rights and domicile).

In Marxist philosophy the bourgeoisie is the social class that came to own the means of production during modern industrialization and whose societal concerns are the value of property and the preservation of capital, to ensure the perpetuation of their economic supremacy in society. Joseph Schumpeter saw the creation of new bourgeoisie as the driving force behind the capitalist engine, particularly entrepreneurs who took risks to bring innovation to industries and the economy through the process of creative destruction. The Modern French word "bourgeois" derived from the Old French "burgeis" (walled city), which derived from "bourg" (market town), from the Old Frankish "burg" (town); in other European languages, the etymologic derivations are the Middle English "burgeis", the Middle Dutch "burgher", the German "Burger", the Modern English "burgess", and the Polish "burzuazja", which occasionally is synonymous with the intelligentsia.
1. In the original meaning where were bourgeoisie people found?
2. Where were they not found?
3. What were the people who were not bourgeoisie called?
4. Was it possible to live outside the cities but still have the rights of the bourgeoisie?
5. What were those people called?
6. To be considered bourgeoisie according to a more modern definition what must you own?
7. What is the name of the philosophy that states that?
8. What does the Old French word "burgeis" mean?
9. What language does the word "burzuazja" come from?
10. What language does the word "burgher" come from?
****
answer: 1. in the city
2. "outside the walls of the city"
3. "peasants"
4. yes
5. "Fair bourgeoisie"
6. property
7. Marxist
8. walled city
9. Polish
10. Middle Dutch

question: There once was a beautiful, brown puppy who loved her life. Her name was Tori. Every morning, Patty brushed out her fur and feeds Tori her favorite breakfast. One Tuesday morning, Patty had an early errand and forgot all about Tori. Tori was sad, but chose to make the best of it, and leaped out of her doggy door to play in her backyard outside. As she was playing with her favorite ball, Tori saw an opening in the fence. Excited, she ran over to the fence and squeezed out. She had never been on the street by herself before. Tori ran down the sidewalk, and happily barked at all the other dogs she passed. She loved to wag her tail in the summer breeze and was having a great time.

All of a sudden, Tori was picked up by Ben and Mike, and thrown into a truck. She was lost and confused. Poor Tori didn't know what to do! The truck pulled up to a building with a big sign that said "Animal Control". Tori knew this was the place that people keep animals who are lost on the street. Once the workers took her inside, they put her into a cage. She was scared that Patty wouldn't know where to find her, but she knew Patty's phone number was on her collar. She barked and barked to get the worker's attention, but no one seemed to pay her any attention.

After two long hours, a tall man, named Joe, opened up her cage and looked at the charm on her collar. He smiled at Tori and gave her a pat on the head. Patty was there quickly, and gave Tori a big hug. She was so happy to see her puppy again.

Tori learned to never escape the backyard again and lived happily ever after with Patty.
1. What type of animal is Tori?
2. Who generally takes care of her?
****
answer:
1. puppy
2. Patty