2014届高考英语阅读理解优化测试卷 (7).doc

Passage 1 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 ona 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, “ soI read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I asked every financial whiz ( 能手)I knew to explain things to me. ” He and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to live below their means. 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 ing 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 e p