The Sharing Economy | Advanced ESL Reading Worksheet PDF

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Over the past decade, a business model known as the sharing economy has transformed the way people access goods and services. Instead of buying a car, a power tool, or a spare bedroom outright, consumers can now temporarily rent these items from someone else who already owns them. This shift depends heavily on smartphone apps, which allow total strangers to connect, negotiate, and complete transactions within minutes.

Digital platforms such as Airbnb and Uber act as an intermediary, linking people who have something to offer with those who need it. These companies do not typically own the assets being shared; instead, they earn a commission for facilitating the connection. This model has managed to disrupt entire industries, forcing traditional hotels and taxi services to reconsider how they compete for customers.

Supporters argue that the sharing economy makes better use of underutilized resources. A car that sits parked for twenty-three hours a day, for example, could instead generate income for its owner while providing transportation for someone else. In theory, this efficiency helps redistribute wealth toward ordinary individuals rather than large corporations, while simultaneously reducing unnecessary consumption and environmental waste.

Critics, however, point to the darker side of this rapid proliferation of gig-based work. Many drivers and hosts lack the job security, healthcare, and benefits that traditional employees receive, leaving them in a financially precarious position. Governments have struggled to establish clear regulatory frameworks, and questions of accountability arise whenever accidents or disputes occur between anonymous users.

Looking ahead, policymakers face the challenge of balancing innovation with worker protection. Some cities have begun to incentivize companies to offer basic benefits, while others have imposed strict limits on short-term rentals. Whatever direction regulation takes, the sharing economy has already proven that ownership is no longer the only path to accessing what we need.

1. collaborative ____
2. underutilized ____
3. intermediary ____
4. redistribute ____
5. regulatory ____
6. incentivize ____
7. proliferation ____
8. accountability ____
9. disrupt ____
10. precarious ____

• a. not used to its full potential or capacity
• b. not securely held; risky or unstable
• c. rapid increase in the number or amount of something
• d. to share out resources differently than before
• e. person or platform that connects two parties in a transaction
• f. relating to official rules that control an industry
• g. to give someone a reason or motivation to act
• h. responsibility for one’s actions and their consequences
• i. involving people working together toward a shared goal
• j. to change an established industry or system in a radical way

ওয়ার্ড ব্যাংক: intermediary, underutilized, proliferation, precarious, regulatory, collaborative, accountability, incentivize