Final answer:
Maria worked 72 hours last month.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out how many hours Maria worked last month, we can use the information given in the question. Let's assume that Maria worked x hours. According to the question, Josephine worked 7 hours less than Maria. So, Josephine worked (x - 7) hours. Together, they worked a combined total of 137 hours. We can set up the equation: x + (x - 7) = 137. Solving for x, we get x = 72.
Therefore, Maria worked 72 hours last month.