What is a budget? A budget is a plan that helps us decide how to make, save and spend our money. It doesn't matter whether you're planning how to keep the country running smoothly, or you're trying to work out how long you'll have to save up to buy a new video game. The basic idea is the same: Making a budget is the best way to take control of your money.
How can a budget help me? Have you ever wondered why your pocket money runs out so quickly? Have you regretted spending your birthday money on sweets or online games when you could have saved up to buy something you really wanted instead?
Making a budget can be of great help to you. It makes it much easier to save up for more expensive things like new trainers or a bike. It's a good idea to learn more about budgeting now, as it'll help when you get older and have to pay for things like supermarket shopping and medical treatment.
How do I make a budget? Pick up a pen and a piece of paper, and start by writing down your pocket money. Add the extra money that you make. Next, write down any money that you spend in your everyday life. Perhaps you buy hot chocolate every week after going swimming or you buy a new game each month. This is called your "outgoings". When you subtract（减去）your outgoings from your income, you'll see how much you have left over to save or spend.
It's wise to save some of this money, especially if you would like to buy something special. Your budget will help you see how much you can afford to save each week and how long it will take to reach your goal(目标). You might then decide to spend less on sweets to save a little extra or think about ways to make a little more money, so that you can reach your goal faster.
任务一 回答问题(答案不超过6个词)
1. What is a budget's basic idea?

2. What problem can a budget solve?

3. What can a budget help us reach?

4. What are outgoings in the text?

5.（创新考法·开放性设问）What can you do to save money?

任务二 阅读理解
In which part of a magazine can you probably read the passage?
A. Technology.
B. Education.
C. Environment.
D. Nature.

任务一
1. Control your money.
2. Money running out fast.
3. Our saving goals.
4. Money you spend on daily needs.
5. Spend less on snacks.（言之有理即可）
任务二
B 推理判断题。本文主要介绍了预算是一种帮助我们决定如何赚钱、存钱和花钱的计划，并介绍了如何制定预算，故文章可能出现在杂志的教育部分。

【分析】
本题分为任务一（细节查找题）和任务二（推理判断题）。任务一需根据问题定位原文对应内容，提取符合字数要求的答案；任务二需结合文章主旨判断其所属的杂志板块，需理解文章核心内容。
【解析】
任务一：
1. 定位原文第一段最后一句“Making a budget is the best way to take control of your money.”，提取核心答案，控制在6词内，即Control your money.
2. 定位原文第二段“Have you ever wondered why your pocket money runs out so quickly?”，可知预算可解决零花钱过快花完的问题，答案为Money running out fast.
3. 定位原文第五段“Your budget will help you see how much you can afford to save each week and how long it will take to reach your goal”，可知预算帮助达到储蓄目标，答案为Our saving goals.
4. 定位原文第四段“write down any money that you spend in your everyday life...This is called your 'outgoings'”，可知outgoings是日常花费的钱，答案为Money you spend on daily needs.
5. 开放性问题，结合原文第五段“decide to spend less on sweets”，可回答Spend less on snacks（言之有理即可）。
任务二：
文章主要介绍预算的定义、作用及制作方法，属于理财知识科普，与教育板块相关，故选择B选项。
【答案】
任务一：1. Control your money. 2. Money running out fast. 3. Our saving goals. 4. Money you spend on daily needs. 5. Spend less on snacks.（言之有理即可）
任务二：B
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、细节理解、推理判断
【点评】
本题考查学生对英语文章的细节定位能力和主旨推理能力，任务一要求精准提取原文信息并控制答案字数，任务二需结合文章内容判断出处，整体难度适中，适合中等水平学生完成。
【难度系数】
0.6