Wealth starts with a goal saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank strategy(策略). There are lessons in that time-honored coin-saving container.
Any huge task seems easier when reduced to baby steps. I f you wished to climb a 12,000-foot mountain, and could do it a day at a time, you would only have to climb 33 feet daily to reach the top in a year. If you want to take a really nice trip in 10 years for a special occasion, to collect the $15,000 cost, you have to save $3.93 a day. If you drop that into a piggy bank and then once a year put $1,434 in a savings account at 1% interest rate after-tax, you will have your trip money.
When I was a child, my parents gave me a piggy bank to teach me that, if I wanted something, I should save money to buy it. We associate piggy banks with children, but in many countries, the little containers are also popular with adults. Europeans see a piggy bank as a sign of good fortune and wealth. Around the world, many believe a gift of a piggy bank on New Year’s Day brings good luck and financial success. Ah, but you have to put something in it.
Why is a pig used as a symbol of saving? Why not an elephant bank, which is bigger and holds more coins? In the Middle Ages, before modern banking and credit instruments, people saved money at home, a few coins at a time dropped into a jar or dish. Potters(制陶工) made these inexpensive containers from an orange-colored clay(黏土) called “pygg,” and folks saved coins in pygg jars.The Middle English word
for pig was “pigge”. While the Saxons pronounced pygg, referring to the clay, as “pug”, eventually the two words changed into the same pronunciation, sounding the “i” as in pig or piggy. As the word became less associated with the orange clay and more with the animal, a clever potter fashioned a pygg jar in the shape of a pig, delighting children and adults. The piggy bank was born.
Originally you had to break the bank to get to the money, bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings. While piggy banks teach children the wisdom of saving, adults often need to relearn childhood lessons. Think about the things in life that require large amounts of money--- college education, weddings, cars, medical care, starting a business, buying a home, and fun stuff like great trips. So when you have money, take off the top 10%, put it aside, save and invest wisely.
1.What is the piggy bank strategy?
A. Paying 1% income tax at a time.
B. Setting a goal before making a travel plan.
C. Aiming high even when doing small things.
D. Putting aside a little money regularly for future use.
2.Why did the writer’s parents give him a piggy bank as a gift?
A. To delight him with the latest fashion.
B. To encourage him to climb mountains.
C. To help him form the habit of saving.
D. To teach him English pronunciation.
3.What does then underlined word “something”(Paragraph 3) most probably refer to?
A. Money B. Gifts
C. Financial success D. Good luck
4.The piggy ban originally was _________.
A. a potter’s instrument
B. a cheap clay container
C. an animal-shaped dish
D. a pig-like toy for children
5.The last paragraph talks about ________.
A. the seriousness of educating children
B. the enjoyment of taking a great trip
C. the importance of managing money
D. the difficulty of starting a business
I had worried myself sick over Simon’s mother coming to see me. I was a new , and I gave an honest account of the students’ work. In Simon’s case, the grades were awfully low. He couldn’t read his own handwriting. he was a bright student. He discussed adult subjects with nearly adult comprehension. His work in no way reflected his .
So when Simon’s mother entered the room, my palms(手掌心) were sweating. I was completely for her lisses on both my cheeks. “I came to thank you,” she said, surprising me beyond speech. me, Simon had become a different person. He talked of how he me, he had began to make friends, and for the first time in his twelve years, he had spent an afternoon at a friend’s house. She wanted to tell me how grateful she was for the I had nurtured(培养) in her son. She kissed me again and left.
I sat, stunned (惊呆), for about half an hour, what had just happened. How did I make such a life-changing difference to that boy without knowing it? What I finally came to was one day, several months before, when some students were reports in the front of the class, Jeanne spoke , and to encourage her to raise her voice, L had sai, “Speak up. Simon’s the expert on this. He is the one you have to convince, and he can’t hear you in the of the room.” That was it. From that day on, Simon had sat up straighter, paid more attention, more, and became happy. And it was all because he to be the last kid in the last row. The boy who most needed was the one who took the last seat that day.
It taught me the most lesson over the years of my teaching career, and I’m thankful that it came and positively. A small kindness can indeed make a difference.
1.A. cleaner B. reporter C. monitor D. teacher
2.A. Or B. And C. But D. So
3.A. courage B. abilities C. feelings D. dream
4.A. desperate B. responsible C. unprepared D. unsuitable
5.A. Because of B. In spite of C. Apart from D.As for
6.A. loved B. envied C. pleased D. criticized
7.A. gradually B. constantly C. recently D. obviously
8.A. self-respect B. self-doubt C. self-pity D. self-defence
9.A. imagining B. observing C. wondering D. regretting
10.A. also B. even C. always D. still
11.A. expect B. remember C. believe D. accept
12.A. writing B. reviewing C. editing D. giving
13.A. quietly B. repeatedly C. quickly D. firmly
14.A. lucky B. lonely C. only D. likely
15.A. entrance B. middle C. front D. back
16.A. slept B. smiled C. shouted D. quarreled
17.A. intended B. pretended C. refused D. happened
18.A. change B. praise C. thanks D. visits
19.A. difficult B. painful C. valuable D. enjoyable
20.A. early B. slowly C. frequently D. occasionally
—I’d like a wake-up call at 7:00 a.m., please!
—OK, _______.
A. help yourself B. You will certainly make it
C. just do what you like D. I’ll make sure you get one
How could you ______ such a fantastic job when you have been out of work for months.
A. turn off B. turn in C.turn down D. turn to
There’s no reason to be disappointed. ______, this could be rather amusing.
A. Above all B. As a result C. In addition D. As a matter of fact
People won’t pay attention to you when they still have a lot of ideas of their own crying _______expression.
A. from B. over C. with D. for
