1. make ends meet: get just enough money for one’s needs
　　e.g.: Connie says that she can’t make ends meet this year.

2. stress: give a sense of importance to (a certain matter)
　　e.g.: The speaker stressed the need for better education.

3. injure: hurt (a living thing)
　　e.g.: She was injured badly in the accident.

4. discount: a reduction made in the cost
　　e.g.: The shopkeeper gave a five percent discount for each item.

5. pick up: take hold of and lift up
　　e.g.: He picked up his suitcase and went out.

6. empty: make or become empty; remove what is inside (something)
　　e.g.: The baby cried loudly when he had emptied his bottle.

7. acquire: get; gain
　　e.g.: He has acquired an extraordinary command of the English language.

8. I ... learned at an early age the importance of balancing life’s competing interests — in my case, school, homework and a job: I ... learned the importance of managing my time between school, homework, and a job, while I was young.
balance: consider; compare
　　e.g.: The judge balanced the disputes of both parties.

9. dignity: true worth and nobleness of character
　　e.g.: The real dignity of a man lies in what he is; not in what he has.

10. incredible: unbelievable
　　e.g.: The plot of the book is incredible.

11. thanks to: owing to; on account of ; because
　　e.g.: Thanks to John’s kind help, we finished early.

12. dream of: have a dream (about something)
　　e.g.: When I was young I dreamed of becoming a surgeon.

13. come true: happen just as was wished, expected, dreamed, etc.
　　e.g.: One’s dreams do not always come true.

14. invest: use (money) to make more money
　　e.g.: He invested $1,000 in a growing business.

15. My investments soured: My investments did not earn any money and may have lost some.

16. deliberation: careful consideration
　　e.g.: After much deliberation, she decided to accept their offer.

17. pay back: return what is owing
　　e.g.: It is high time he paid me back the $100 he owes me.

18. ...with a million-dollar personality: ...with a good personality