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 time­honoured coin­savings container.

Any huge task seems easier when reduced to baby steps.If you wished to climb a 12，000­foot 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 after­tax，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，yes，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 orange­coloured 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.

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 animal­shaped dish

D.a pig­like 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

【要点综述】 财富的积累靠点滴。在文章中，作者提到了储蓄罐策略：设定一个长远的目标，但要点滴地逐渐去实现它。

41. D　推理判断题。从文章第一段的saving a dollar at a time和第二段的to baby steps，to collect the $15，000 cost, you have to save $3.93 a day等细节中我们可以推断，储蓄罐策略就是要把大目标化小，积少成多。故选D项。

42. C　细节理解题。从文章第三段的“…if I wanted something, I should save money to buy it.”可知，作者父母给作者一个储蓄罐的目的是让他能够养成储蓄的习惯。故选C项。

43. A　词义指代题。从第三段的“…brings good luck and financial success. Ah, yes, but you have to put something in it.”知，此处的it是指代上文提到的储蓄罐，而要想有足够的资金，就必须要往储蓄罐中存钱，由此推断something指代money。故选A项。

44. B　细节理解题。从第四段的“Potters(制陶工) made these inexpensive containers from an orange­coloured clay (黏土)called ‘pygg’…”可以知道，储蓄罐最初来源于古代陶工做的廉价的陶土容器。故选B项。

45. C　段落大意题。最后一段的“Originally you had to break the bank to get to the money, bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings.”是本段的主题句，主要讲述了管理钱财的重要性，要认真严肃地对待。故选C项。