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Wealth starts with a goal and saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank strategy (²ßÂÔ). There are lessons in that time-honored coin-savings container. ª¥

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 ¡ç15, 000 cost, you have to save ¡ç3. 93 a day. If you drop that into a piggy bank and then once a year put ¡ç1, 434 in a savings account at 1% interest rate after-tax, you will have your trip money. ª¥

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, yes, but you have to put something in it. ª¥

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 (ÖÆÌÕ¹¤) made these inexpensive containers from an orange-colored clay (ð¤ÍÁ) 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. (www.nmet168.com)ª¥

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¡ªcollege 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.

41. 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.

42. 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.

43. What does the underlined word ¡°something¡± (Paragraph 3) most probably refer to?

A. Money.                B. Gifts.

C. Financial success.                                 D. Good luck.

44. The piggy bank originally was ________.

A. a potter¡¯s instrument

B. a cheap clay container

C. an animal-shaped dish

D. a pig-like toy for children

45. 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

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