7．Wealth starts with a goal and 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．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 15，000cost，youhavetosave3.93 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．
21．What is the piggy bank strategy？D
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．
22．Why did the writer's parents give him a piggy bank as a gift？C
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．
23．What does the underlined word"something"（Paragraph 3）most probably refer to？A
A．Money
B．Gifts
C．Financial success
D．Good luck
24．The last paragraph talks aboutC
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．
分析 這是一篇記敘文．這篇短文給我們講述的是小豬銀行策略，即存錢罐定期地存錢，這樣不僅可以讓孩子養(yǎng)成攢錢的好習(xí)慣，對(duì)于成年人來說，為以后的生活定期地存錢也是很有意義的．
解答 41．D．細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)短文第二段的意思特別是最后一句"If you drop that into a piggy bank and then once a year put $1，434in a savings account at 1% interest rate after-tax，you will have your trip money．"每年把1434美元儲(chǔ)蓄賬戶利率稅后1%，你會(huì)有你的旅行的錢可得出提示．
42．C．推理判斷題．根據(jù)短文第三段的第一句"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．"可得出提示．這樣就可以幫助他養(yǎng)成一個(gè)存錢的習(xí)慣．
43．A．詞義猜測(cè)題．根據(jù)這個(gè)單詞所在的句子和這一段的內(nèi)容可知，有了存錢罐，你可以慢慢攢錢，買你想要的東西，當(dāng)然，你必須得往里放錢．所以這里的something指的就是錢．故選A．
45．C．段落大意題．根據(jù)短文最后一段的內(nèi)容可知，這一段講述的是我們用存錢罐攢錢的意義是什么，他不僅可以使孩子養(yǎng)成存錢的習(xí)慣，而且對(duì)于大人們來說，為以后的生活定期地存錢也是很有意義的．
點(diǎn)評(píng) 題目涉及多道細(xì)節(jié)理解題，做題時(shí)結(jié)合原文和題目有針對(duì)性的找出相關(guān)語句進(jìn)行仔細(xì)分析，結(jié)合選項(xiàng)選出正確答案．推理判斷題也是要在抓住關(guān)鍵句子的基礎(chǔ)上合理的分析才能得出正確答案，切忌胡亂猜測(cè)，一定要做到有理有據(jù)．
