Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense

Unitate: Piggy Bank

You probably had at least one piggy bank in your life and if you have
kids they probably had few. But, have you ever thought about its
name. Why are they called piggy banks? What does a pig have to do
with saving money?! A pig would definitely be the last animal Id
associate with savings! Why not doggy bank, bunny bank, why an
animal at all?!
I have always been a curious person, so I did some piggy bank
research and have learned some very interesting things.
My mother got a lovely, ceramic piggy bank when she was a kid. As
you know, those ceramic piggy banks dont have an opening to remove
the money. The theory goes that this is to serve as a lesson in finances
for children. The piggy bank enables a child to save money but forces
him or her to justify its spending as in order to access the money he
needs to break his piggy bank. This lesson seems to have been
forgotten by many adults! Maybe we should keep a piggy bank in our
front foyer and deposit our loose change as we come home each day!
But the question still remains, why is it called a piggy bank and why is
it in the shape of a pig?
The original piggy bank had absolutely nothing to do with a pig! In the
Middle Ages, when metal was expensive, an inexpensive, orange
colored clay, called pygg, was the common media for making pots and
jars, and was referred to as a pygg jar, for example. One of these jars
was often used to hold coins. Eventually, the pygg jar or pygg bank
used for coins, surely accidentally, became known as a pig bank or
piggy bank! The general consensus is that this evolution transpired a
few hundred years ago in England when craftsmen were hired to make
pygg banks and not being familiar with pygg they made pig shaped
banks.
The oldest recorded piggy bank in the shape of a pig is claimed to be
1500 years old from Indonesia. Perhaps there was a connection
between the pig and saving money in their culture.
Understandably, the piggy bank is not popular in all cultures. The pig

Copyright Link group

1 / 10

Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense
Unitate: Piggy Bank

is considered an impure animal according to the Old Testament and

hence is not owned, eaten nor benefited by Jews. Similarly, Islam
forbids the eating of pork due to being impure. Hence, one would not
expect to find too many piggy banks in Muslim countries and in homes
of those of the Jewish and Muslim faiths.
The modern piggy bank made from ceramics, plastic, beads or metal
has been a popular collectors item and gift for children due to its
appealing and humorous appearance.
And one more thing, the phrase. "break the bank" has nothing to do
with the piggy bank!

Copyright Link group

2 / 10

Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense
Unitate: Piggy Bank

Vocabulary
Nouns (substantive):
piggy bank puculi
saving economie
foyer foaier, hol
loose change bani
mruni
clay lut
media metod, mijloc
pot oal
jar borcan
coin bani de metal

Copyright Link group

Verbs (verbe):
associate a asocia
enable a permite
justify a justifica, a
explica
deposit a lsa
refer to a se referi la
transpire a deveni
cunoscut, a se ntmpla
hire a angaja, a lua, a
mprumuta

3 / 10

Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense
Unitate: Piggy Bank

consensus consens
craftsman meseria
benefit - folosin
pork porc
bead perla
Adjectives and adverbs
(pridadjective i
adverbe):
curious curios
understandably de
neles
impure murdar
hence deci
due to datorit
appealing
atractiv,interesant,

Copyright Link group

shape a forma
claim a pretinde
benefit - a beneficia

Prepositions and
conjunctions
(prepoziii i conjuncii):
-

4 / 10

Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense
Unitate: Piggy Bank

EIN_02_06_C_Intermediate_PiggyBank
1. Stabilii dac urmtoarele expresii sunt corecte(TRUE) sau
incorecte(FALSE).
Rspunsuri oferite: TRUE, FALSE
Pig is associated with savings. ________
The original piggy bank has nothing to do with a pig!
________
Pygg jar wasn`t used for coins. ________
The oldest recorded piggy bank in the shape of a pig is
claimed to be 1500 years old from Egypt. ________
2. Stabilii dac urmtoarele expresii sunt corecte(TRUE) sau
incorecte(FALSE).
Rspunsuri oferite: TRUE, FALSE
The piggy bank is popular in all cultures. ________
The pig is considered impure according to the Old
Testament. ________
The piggy bank can`t be made from ceramics. ________
The phrase `break the bank` has nothing to do with the
piggy bank. ________
3. Determinai care propoziie este corect. Ceramic piggy
bank, without an opening to remove the money,:
a) serves to teach children about finances
b) serves as decoration
c) serves only as a gift, you cannot collect money in it
4. Determinai care propoziie este corect.
clay:

Orange colored

a) was expensive
b) was inexpensive

Copyright Link group

5 / 10

Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense
Unitate: Piggy Bank

c) wasn`t the common media for making pots and jars

5. Determinai care propoziie este corect. The oldest
recorded piggy bank in the shape of a pig is claimed to be:
a) 1200 years old
b) 1600 years old
c) 1500 years old
6. Determinai care propoziie este corect.
pig shaped banks because:

Craftsmen made

a) they were familiar with pygg origin

b) they werent familiar with pygg origin
c) they liked the shape
7. Determinai care propoziie este corect.
popular with:

Piggy bank isn`t

a) Jews
b) Englishmen
c) Englishman

Copyright Link group

6 / 10

Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense
Unitate: Piggy Bank

1. Stabilii dac urmtoarele expresii sunt corecte(TRUE) sau

incorecte(FALSE).
TRUE, , TRUE, FALSE, TRUE, , TRUE,
2. Stabilii dac urmtoarele expresii sunt corecte(TRUE) sau
incorecte(FALSE).
TRUE, , TRUE, FALSE, TRUE, , TRUE, FALSE
3. Determinai care propoziie este corect. Ceramic piggy
bank, without an opening to remove the money,:
a
4. Determinai care propoziie este corect.
clay:

Orange colored

b
5. Determinai care propoziie este corect. The oldest
recorded piggy bank in the shape of a pig is claimed to be:
c
6. Determinai care propoziie este corect.
pig shaped banks because:

Craftsmen made

b
7. Determinai care propoziie este corect.
popular with:

Piggy bank isn`t

Copyright Link group

7 / 10

Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense
Unitate: Piggy Bank

EIN_02_06_V_Intermediate_PiggyBank
1. Completai propoziiile cu cuvintele potrivite.
Rspunsuri oferite: savings, jars, pork, loose change
If you don`t have a piggy bank, create a ________
bowl.Once full,put into a savings account and repeat.
________
Many people lost all their ________
when the bank collapsed. ________
There were two ________
of jam!Where are they now? Did you eat everything?!
________
Muslims don`t eat ________
It is in their religion. ________
2. Completai propoziiile cu cuvintele potrivite.
Rspunsuri oferite: beads, impure, hence, appealing
His friend had a nice smile and an ________
personality. ________
They were warned against drinking the ________
water from the stream. ________
She wore a necklace of wooden ________
She looked great. ________
His mother was Italian, ________
his name - Giacomo. ________
3. Legai cuvintele.
a) loose
b) due
c) piggy

a) change
b) to
c) bank

4. Legai cuvintele.

Copyright Link group

8 / 10

Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense
Unitate: Piggy Bank

a) plastic
b) impure
c) associate
d) appealing

a) with
b) animal
c) appearance
d) bead

5. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.

Rspunsuri oferite: associate, enable, shape, hire
We finally received new funds that will ________
construction of new schools. ________
6. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.
Rspunsuri oferite: hence, impure, shape, transpire
That necklace is handmade and ________
expensive. ________
7. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.
Rspunsuri oferite: claim, refers to, claims, benefits
He ________
to have met the President, but I don`t believe him. He is a
well known liar! ________
8. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.
Rspunsuri oferite: jar, pot, clay, pots
Fill a large ________
with salted water and bring it to the boil. ________
9. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.
Rspunsuri oferite: craftsman, consensus, craftsmen, person
The pots are hand painted by our finest ________

Copyright Link group

9 / 10

Curs: English - Intermediate

Modul: Past Simple Tense
Unitate: Piggy Bank

1. Completai propoziiile cu cuvintele potrivite.

savings, , savings, jars, savings, pork, savings, loose change
2. Completai propoziiile cu cuvintele potrivite.
beads, , beads, hence, beads, impure, beads, appealing
3. Legai cuvintele.
aa, bb, cc
4. Legai cuvintele.
ad, bb, ca, dc
5. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.
associate, shape
6. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.
hence, impure
7. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.
claim, benefits
8. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.
jar, clay
9. Completai propoziia cu cuvntul potrivit.
craftsman, person

Copyright Link group

10 / 10