Do you have a spare room in your house? What about a driveway for your car? Both of these can help you make money. Many people who are feeling the pinch are taking advantage of what’s been called the "sharing economy".
Perhaps the best-known example of a company in this field is Airbnb — an American web business which allows you to rent out your spare room to holidaymakers. It says it operates in 34,000 cities and it has over 1,500,000 listings. It seems to have cornered the market!
A British company is doing something with parking spaces. JustPark’s founder, Anthony Eskinazi, says, "When I had the original idea, I spotted a driveway close to a sports stadium. It would have been so convenient if I could have just parked in that driveway rather than in a commercial car park." And he has a big clientele(顾客): around 20,000 people have advertised their spaces on the site, and he says around half a million drivers use it. There are other sites doing very similar things, like Uber and Lyft — these let drivers share their cars with other passengers. Any driver knows how valuable a place to park is. A church near Kings Cross in central London has apparently made over ￡200,000 by renting out space in its yard to travelers!
Because this is a new business world, those rules aren’t there yet and many people are happy to share... as long as it pays!
But the sharing economy has its critics: the competitors of these new companies. People who run things like traditional B&B, commercial car parks and taxi services are afraid of ending up out of pocket. And there is another issue: regulations on these new businesses are unclear. How will renting out your driveway affect your neighbor?
1.What does the underlined phrase "feeling the pinch" probably mean?
A. Lacking in money.
B. Full of curiosity.
C. Willing to help others.
D. Unsatisfied with their life.
2.Who may be against the sharing economy?
A. A taxi driver who can’t find a parking place.
B. A priest in the church near Kings Cross.
C. A traveler who needs accommodation.
D. A well-known high-end holiday hotel.
3.Why are many people pleased to share according to Paragraph 4?
A. They can gain huge profits.
B. They needn’t pay any fee.
C. There’re few rules to limit them.
D. The new business has no risks.
4.Which of the following words can best describe the booming business?
A. Creative and developed.
B. Competitive but unpractical.
C. Effective but worrying.
D. Traditional and acceptable.
SUBJECT: making a difference in your community with the Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth (CBFY)
Do you feel that you would love to help out your community but do not know how?
Is it time to try something new?
Come and join the Bridge Foundation!
We are looking for volunteers to help us support newly immigrant youth that live within the city.
We provide various programs such as:
Life Skill Program: Provides the students with a sense of belonging to the school and community in different lessons once a week. These programs are located in primary, junior high and at high school level.
Homework Club: Lends a hand with Math, Science, ESL and Social Studies for students between grades 1 to 12.
Family Program: Connects newcomer families with community resources to deal with cross-cultural problems that may occur.
Immigrant Youth Pilot Project: One-on-One assistances for students at the high school level who have limited English language, math and literacy skills, and few community supports.
We are looking for individuals with the following characteristics:
● Energy
● Enthusiasm
● Managing time
● Attending to details
● Speaking effectively
● Writing briefly
● Second language would be a value. (Languages in high demand are Chinese, Middle Eastern Arabic, and Persian Farsi)
Our programs are located in various locations within the Calgary area.
If you would like to volunteer or have any other questions, please contact Musani, at 531-3920 or e-mail admin@calgarybridgefoundation.com
The Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth is a non-profit organization that is ready to serve immigrant youth by assisting in the development of youth through education, information exchange and support.
1.The purpose of the notice is to .
A. look for immigrant youth with different skills
B. make money by organizing the programs
C. connect newcomer families with community resources
D. look for volunteers to help support newly immigrant youth
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the notice?
A. CBFY locates Life Skill Programs in every corner of the city.
B. The programs can benefit any student aged under 12.
C. CBFY provides different training programs for the volunteers.
D. To be a volunteer, you must at least be energetic and enthusiastic.
3.Which of the following suits you best if you have a good knowledge of either history or geography?
A. Life Skill Program.
B. Homework Club.
C. Family Program.
D. Immigrant Youth Pilot Project.
___________salaries for teachers in rural areas are made higher, they may still choose to leave for a more comfortable and respectable life.
A. Once B. Since
C. Even though D. Now that
——Will you go to John’s party this Friday?
——Of course not, ______.
A. if invited B. even if invited
C. until invited D. when invited
Our government is encouraging more couples to have a second child, but it will take some time we see the effect.
A. since B. after
C. when D. before
—Who do you think will be in charge of our class during Mr. Wang’s absence?
—I don’t know. _________I am not particular about teachers.
A. It can’t be helped. B. It all depends.
C. It makes no difference. D. It won’t hurt to ask.
