【正文】 ool in Year 11 and after playing guitar in a band for a few years, I spent the next ten years working different jobs. Then a friend, who thought I was wasting my life, suggested I enrol at his university. Although afraid, I eventually took a university preparation course and a year later became a 35yearold university freshman. Like many matureage students, after pleting my degree, I continued studying and eventually attained my PhD. Now I’m a lecturer at Toronto University in Canada. In fact, I have just finished preparing a group of matureage students to annoy next year’s young first years. My students e from many different backgrounds. But they all share an enthusiasm for knowledge and learning. I know they are ridiculous and show up to class with folders full of readings, minds overflowing with ideas and concepts they want to discuss. I was the same. But, contrary to the stereotype of the annoying matureage students occupying the airtime in class, most don39。t want to control the discussion. They’re likely to be waiting, counting away the seconds silently in the hope that someone will want to talk about all of these amazing ideas we’re learning about. Only after waiting for younger voices to speak. ( but which often remain silent) do they begin talking. Speaking for myself, I love students who e prepared and ready to discuss stuff. So let39。s celebrate all of those “annoying”matureage students. 24. According to the article, a matureage student is a person . A. studying for a higher degree B. who behaves like an adult C. who starts university at an older age D. not yet qualified to enter university 25. In the first paragraph, the author . A. describes the problems matureage students create B. shows that he is opposed to matureage students C. explains why many teachers dislike matureage students D. makes fun of the attitude held by many young students. 26. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to? A. Retired people. B. Early high school leavers. C. University students aged below 20. D. Matureage university students. 27. Why do matureage students often wait before speaking in class? A. They lack the ability to give their opinions. B. They are not very familiar with the topic being discussed. C. They want to give the younger students more chances to speak. D. They are more interested in hearing others39。 opinions. C Wealth starts with a goal saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank strategy(策略 ). There are lessons in that timehonored coinsaving 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 $ 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, 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 orangecolored clay(黏土 ) called “pygg”, and folks saved coins in pygg 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. 28. What is the piggy bank strategy? A. Paying 1% ine 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. 29. 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. 30. What does the underlined word “something” (Paragraph 3) most probably refer to? A. Money B. Gifts C. Financial success D. Good luck 31. 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 32. 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