Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

A recent Treasury Department report of misconduct by a banking regulator is giving watchdogs some ammunition to argue that financial regulators are too cozy with the banks they are tasked with overseeing.

The report, part of a small batch just released by the department's inspector-general, says that a government employee in Florida who served as a bank examiner accepted "gratuities (golf fees and/or food) on at least four occasions" from a bank he was reviewing. The report, conducted in 2010, called the situation a "conflict of interest" for the employee, who worked at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

"You have a government employee, during a time when he has a special responsibility to oversee this bank, actually taking time from work and going to play golf with these folks," said Michael Smallberg, a researcher with the Project on Government Oversight. "It was a pretty striking example of a government employee actually cozying up to the folks he's supposed to be regulating."

But Inspector-General Eric Thorson, who polices the Treasury Department and released the files, defended the agency.

"These investigative reports are good examples of the fact that the department has been successful in demonstrating that there is little toleration for individual misconduct."

"My opinion is that Treasury has an institutional highly ethical culture," he added.

But Smallberg is still critical. "When folks wonder why regulators didn't do a better job of stopping the financial crisis, or they're wondering why OCC didn't spot the huge trading loss at JP Morgan earlier this year, I think part of the issue is just that the examiners were just too close to the folks they were supposed to be examining," he said.

1. What was the recent report about?
2. Was this a big batch?
3. When was the report?
4. What was it called?
5. Who took up for the agency?
6. Who was he?
7. What does he do?
8. Where these reports bad or good?
9. How were they good?
10. What was Thorsons thoughts on the Treasury?
11. Did Smallberg have any thoughts?
12. What was one of his thoughts?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. Misconduct by a banking regulator
2. No
3. 2010
4. A "conflict of interest" for the employee
5. Eric Thorson
6. Inspector-General
7. Polices the Treasury Department
8. Good
9. They are good examples that there is little toleration for individual misconduct.
10. It has an institutional highly ethical culture.
11. Yes
12. That the examiners were just too close to the folks they were supposed to be examining

Question: Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. With a territory of , Bulgaria is Europe's 16th-largest country.

Organised prehistoric cultures began developing on current Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic period. Its ancient history saw the presence of the Thracians, Greeks, Persians, Celts, Romans, Goths, Alans and Huns. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian state dates back to the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 681 AD, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavs during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries. The Russo-Turkish War of 187778 led to the formation of the Third Bulgarian State. The following years saw several conflicts with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both world wars. In 1946 it became a one-party socialist state as part of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. In December 1989 the ruling Communist Party allowed multi-party elections, which subsequently led to Bulgaria's transition into a democracy and a market-based economy. 1. When were the first Bulgarian cultures started?
2. Were the Greeks ever in the area?
3. How many others are listed?
4. About when was the first unified state there?
5. What was it called?
6. What area did it control?
7. Who was there?
8. Was this during the Renaissance?
9. What was this time period called?
10. What occurred in 1396?
11. Who took over then?
12. Were they in charge for a long time?
13. What was the outcome of the Russo-Turkish War?
14. What year was that?
15. Did they join the allies in WW2?
16. Were they democratic in the years after the war?
17. Did they ever become that?
18. When?19. What body of water is Bulgaria west of?
20. How many countries in Europe are bigger? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers: 1. the Neolithic period
2. yes
3. seven
4. 681 AD
5. the First Bulgarian Empire
6. most of the Balkans
7. Slavs
8. no
9. the Middle Ages
10. the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire
11. the Ottomans
12. yes
13. the formation of the Third Bulgarian State
14. 187778
15. no
16. no
17. yes
18. After December 1989
19. the Black Sea
20. 15

Q: CHAPTER XXVI

A NEW UNDERTAKING

Soon after the rails were laid down the frost returned, and one cold morning Festing sat in his shack, studying a letter from Helen. Norton's cheque had helped him to overcome the worst of his difficulties, things were going better, and Charnock would superintend the workmen until he was ready to go out. Festing felt that he need not hurry, and wanted to think.

Helen had written to him before, without any hint of resentment, and he had told her what he was doing. She knew Bob was his partner, and no doubt understood what this implied. It was obvious that he had been wrong in disliking Bob and half suspecting him; besides Helen knew from the beginning that he had not suspected her, although he had insisted that she had been imprudent. This ground for difference had vanished, but he wondered what she thought, and could not gather much from her letter.

She wrote with apparent good-humor and stated that all was going satisfactorily at the farm, where, indeed, nothing of importance could be done until spring. For all that, there was some reserve. A personal explanation was needed before they could get back to their old relations of intimate confidence, and he was ready to own his mistakes. Unfortunately, the explanation must be put off, because there was one point on which he was still determined, although his resolve no longer altogether sprang from pride. He must, if possible, repair his damaged fortunes before he went home. Farming on a proper scale was expensive work, and Helen's capital was not large. In order to raise a big crop, one must speculate boldly, and he meant to do so with his own money.

1. Helen
2. satisfactorily
3. No
4. No
5. spring
6. unknown
7. his damaged fortunes
8. In order to raise a big crop
9. Helen's capital was not large
10. the frost
11. Norton
12. Charnock
13. One
14. Bob
15. No

Numbered questions:
1. Who was in a humorous mood?
2. How were things where she was?
3. Was there urgent news?
4. Would she start working in the summer?
5. When would she work?
6. Was all with them?
7. What did he have to fix?
8. Fix them for what?
9. What did he need to do that?
10. What returned after they laid the rails?
11. Had anyone helped finance his endeavors?
12. And who would he have superviser the workers?
13. How many partners did he have?
14. Who was his partner?
15. Had Helen called him?