Question

Wealth starts with a goal and saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank plan. There are lessons in that historic coin-savings container (容器).

Any difficult task seems easier when started from baby steps. If 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, 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, 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 connect 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 being rich. Around the world, many believe a gift of a piggy bank on New Year’s Day brings good luck and wealth.

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, skillful workers made these inexpensive containers from an orange-colored clay (黏土) called “pygg,” and people then saved coins in pygg jars. As “pygg” pronounced much like the Middle English word “pigge” meaning “pig”, gradually, the two words changed into the same pronunciation. Once a clever worker made a pygg jar in the shape of a pig, pleasing children and adults. The piggy bank was born.

In the past, you had to break the bank to get the money, bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings. While piggy banks teach children the value of saving, adults often need to relearn childhood lessons. Think about the things in life that need a large sum of money – college education, weddings, starting a business, buying a home, and fun things like great trips. So when you have money, take off the top 10%, put it aside, save and use it wisely.

1.What is the piggy bank plan?

A. Setting a goal before making a travel plan.

B. Putting aside a little money regularly for future use.

C. Having determination even when doing small things.

D. Climbing a mountain a little a day before reaching the top.

2.Why did the writer’s parents give him a piggy bank as a gift?

A. To help him develop the habit of saving.

B. To encourage him to climb mountains.

C. To please him with the latest fashion.

D. To teach him English pronunciation.

3.The piggy bank was first ______ .

A. a pig-like toy for children    B. a worker’s tool

C. an animal-look dish    D. a cheap clay container

4.The last paragraph talks about ______ .

A. the enjoyment of taking a great trip

B. the importance of managing money

C. the difficulty of starting a business

D. the seriousness of educating children

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.B

【解析】【文章大意】作者在本文中介绍了the piggy bank strategy也就是存钱策略,并介绍了the pggy bank的起源和目的，号召人们都养成储蓄的好习惯。

1.推理题。根据文章第二段前3行If 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.作者一个这个例子告诉我们piggy bank strategy就是指每天都存一点钱以备未来之用。故B正确。

2.细节题。根据第三段第一句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.父母亲给我这个储蓄罐的目的是告诉我，如果想要得到某个东西，就要自己存钱来买。通过这个做法来养成存蓄的习惯。故A正确。

3.推理题。根据文章第四段2，3,4行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.可知以前没有银行的时候，人们就是使用黏贴罐来存放零钱的，The piggy ban就是最初的储蓄罐。故D正确。

4.段落大意题。根据本段前两句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.储蓄罐不仅可以帮助孩子养成存钱的好习惯，而且对成年人也是有好处的。所以本段讲述的是储蓄罐的重要性。故B正确。