Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 36 to 42
If we take a glance around at the stuff we've bought throughout the years, we'll see that not everything we have is being put to good use: the thick woolen coat which we thought looked trendy despite the fact that we live in a tropical country, the smartphone that got put away when we bought ourselves the newest model, or even the guest room in our house that somehow got turned into a storeroom.
Those underutilized items may seem useless to some, but could be an asset to others. With the advent of the Internet, online communities have figured out a way to generate profit from the sharing of those underutilized assets. Using websites and social media groups that facilitate the buying and selling of second-hand goods, it is now easier than ever for peer-to-peer sharing activities to take place. And this is known as the sharing economy.
These democratized online platforms are providing a chance for people to make a quick buck or two. To give an example, busy parents previously might not have bothered with setting up a stall at the local market or car boot sale to sell their children's old equipment, but with online marketplaces, parents are now able to sell on those hardly worn baby clothes that their children have outgrown and the expensive pushchairs and baby equipment they have invested in, so as to put some cash back into their pockets.
Businesses have also seen the benefits of the sharing economy and are looking for ways to profit from unused resources. A business model that has rapidly risen in popularity sees companies providing an online platform that puts customers in contact with those who can provide a particular product or service. Companies like Airbnb act as a middleman for people to cash in on their unused rooms and houses and let them out as lucrative accommodation.
This shift to a sharing economy is not without its detractors. Unlike businesses, unregulated individuals do not have to follow certain regulations and this can lead to poorer and inconsistent quality of goods and services and a higher risk of fraud. However, in today's consumerist world, the increasing chances to sell our unwanted and underutilized things can lead to a lower environmental impact.
