If a stranger offered you money to keep a suitcase in your spare room，would you accept? How about the other way round：if you had too many belongings，would you consider trusting someone you met online with their safekeeping? Anthony Paine believed enough of us would answer “yes” to these questions to launch his own startup (新兴公司)，Stashbee．His business links people with space to those who need it．
And it's just one player in the booming “sharing economy”，an industry that relies on people renting out things like their beds，bikes and even parking spaces．Airbnb，a company valued at 200bn RMB，provides a platform for those renting property short-term．DogVacay pairs holidaymaking pet owners with pet-friendly hosts，and aims to be profitable by 2017．
All their business models revolve around one simple word：trust．So，how does Stashbee measure up? BBC journalist Dougal Shaw decided to try it out for himself．He had some odds and ends to store while renovating his house，and met a host through the site who could keep them for 475 RMB for two months．All relatively smooth and painless．
Heavyweights (行业巨头) in the traditional storage industry，such as Big Yenow and Access，aren’t convinced．A representative from Access told Shaw he was skeptical about storing with “amateurs”．He considered 24／7(全天候) access to the items and better security as the main advantages of his service.
Stashbee agree that dealing with security concerns is important，but say business success depends more on people overcoming a distrust of strangers we’ve been taught since childhood. They aren’t alone．Companies such as Costockage，Roost and Spacer all run similar storage businesses，and are all relying on a shift in consumer attitudes．
And the concept of social storage doesn’t stop there．CityStasher believe there’s a gap in the market for those who want to store things for extremely short periods of time．
Would you try it out? It’s a question of trust．
1.The author put forward two questions at the beginning of the text to__________.
A.expect readers to answer them
B.carry out a survey among readers
C.start a conversation among readers
D.draw readers attention to the topic
2.How does Dougal Shaw try out Stashbee’s business?
A.Experiencing in person． B.Doing a survey online．
C.Analyzing some data． D.Exchanging his belongings.
3.What does the traditional storage industry value most?
A.Trust． B.Security．
C.Cost． D.Professional knowledge．
“ Hi , Mrs Grady ,” said Mark when their neighbor opened her door, “ Would you like us to shovel your sidewalk and driveway ?” Shoveling was Jamie’s idea, a way to earn enough money for the new Ocean Kingdom video game that came out the next day.
Mrs. Grady was happy, “ That would be wonderful , boys. I think the job is getting to be too much for me.”
“It will cost 10 dollars,” Jamie said,“ If that’s OK”, Mark added.
“Oh dear,”Mrs. Grady said disappointedly, “ I haven’t been able to get to the bank. I can offer homemade cookies, but I realize that’s not what you had in mind.”
Mark was going to say that Mrs. Grady could pay them another time, but Jamie cut him off ,“ We’ll come back later.”
Mrs. Grady doesn’t look like the person who’d come to his rescue last summer when Mr. Dunn’s collie , Goldie had just wanted to play , but Mark didn’t feel comfortable around big dogs . He wanted to call for help , but his tongue seemed locked behind his teeth. Then Mrs. Grady’s front door had flown open. She must have seen him from across the street. “ Hold on , Mark . I’m coming!” “Goldie” she’d called. As soon as Goldie had turned her head, Mrs. Grady had slipped between Mark and the dog. She wasn’t much taller than Mark, but she’d stood firm as a rock in front of him.“Goldie, go home!” Then she’d swept her broom to hurry the dog along.”“ Get!” Goldie had obeyed.
When Mark showed thanks to Mrs.Grady, Mrs. Grady laughed“It was nothing. Good neighbors watch out for each other, don’t they? ”
And now Mrs. Grady needed Mark as much as he’d needed her last summer. He smiled and waved at Mrs. Grady, then his shovel deep into the snow.
“ Hey!” Jamie shouted, “What are you doing? ” Mark couldn’t explain about Goldie and watching out for neighbors. “I like Mrs. Grady’s cookies.” he said.
1.Why did Jamie and Mark plan to clear the snow for Mrs. Grany at first?
A.To help the lady B.To earn pocket money
C.To do volunteer work D.To visit New Kingdom
2.Mrs . Grady couldn’t pay them most probably because ________.
A.she didn’t have enough cash B.she couldn’t find the bank
C.she thought it was worthless D.she couldn’t afford it
3.Which of the following proverb can best summarize the story?
A.A penny saved is a penny earned B.Kindness is repaid with kindness
C.A clear conscience D.Actions speak louder than work
If you frequently travel for business, Stay bridge Suites offer you a range of home comforts. Four recent visitors to Staybridge Suites explain why they booked, what they enjoyed and what made them want to return.
Claire Metcalf
“The concept is great, but the staff are the ones who really make it. ”she says. “It takes a lot of discipline to always be friendly, but the staff at Staybridge Suites do that. They genuinely care about you.”
Andrew Roberts
“One of the best things is having my own kitchen. I often end up working late and I don’t fancy eating in a restaurant on my own, so cooking for myself is a big drawcard. ”
“The main thing for me is being able to cook and have my own little flat. The staff are amazing. It is great to be recognized by them, ”he says.
Pauline Robinson
“What I love about it is the way that you are treated by the staff,” she says. “Some of the staff have been there all that time and they do look after you well. As a woman staying on my own, it is reassuring that they look out for you, and recently when I was poorly they even brought things I needed to my room. ”
Ryan Ruckledge
“The fully-equipped kitchen is great. I always have a one-bed apartment so I have a separate kitchen and dining room and I’m able to relax and cook some meals. Eating out can feel a bit much when you do it day in and day out—it makes you hate what you do—and I don’t want that.
1.What attracts visitors to Staybridge Suites?
A.A separate dining room. B.A one—bed apartment.
C.A home from home. D.A lot of discipline.
2.Who think highly of the kitchen of Staybridge Suites?
A.Pauline Robinson and Ryan Ruckledge.
B.Ryan Ruckledge and Claire Metcalf.
C.Andrew Roberts and Ryan Ruckledge.
D.Pauline Robinson and Claire Metcalf.
3.What does the underlined word “drawcard” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.barrier. B.attraction.
C.honour. D.difficulty.
4.Why does the author write the article?
A.To advertise Staybridge Suites.
B.To introduce four recent visitors.
C.To inform us of a new service.
D.To sing high praise for the staff.
The parents are _____ their son who has been away from home for days.
A.in search of B.to search C.searching D.searched for
—Ron, I congratulate you on your success.
—Thanks, but the honor _____ to all the people here.
A.is belonged B.belongs
C.is belonging D.belonged
Is _______any doubt _____ Jennifer will come to see me this weekend as usual.
A.it; that B.it; whether C.there; that D.there; whether
