If we look around us at the things we have purchased at some point in our lives,we would no doubt notice that not everything we own is being put to good use: thethick woolen coat which we thought looked trendy despite the fact that we live in atropical country, the smartphone that got put away when we bought ourselves thenewest model, the car that only gets used at the weekends, or even the guest roomin our house that somehow got turned into a storeroom. Those underutilized itemsmay seem useless to some, but could be an asset to others. With the advent of theinternet, online communities have figured out a way to generate profit from thesharing of those underused assets. Using websites and social media groups thatfacilitate the buying and selling of second-hand goods, it is now easier than ever forpeer-to-peer sharing activities to take place. And this is known as the sharingeconomy.
         The sharing economy is a new model of consumption which has revolutionizedcurrent business models around the world. It is based on the the exchange, thesharing, and collaboration between individuals of goods, services, resources, time orknowledge, with or without monetary exchanges, via dedicated platforms. Thefactors which led to the development of this economic model include the digitalboom, pressing environmental worries, the lack of confidence in institutions, therenovation in relationship with properties, and the desire to position the individualat the center of society. In this way, the sharing economy is shaking up the existingsocio-economic model, both for consumers and for companies, by doublingtraditional offers available and utilizing resources of individuals and offering newservices or complementing traditional offers. For example, busy parents previouslymight not have bothered with setting up a stall at the local market or car boot saleto sell their children's old equipment, but with online marketplaces, parents are nowable to sell on those hardly worn baby clothes that their children have outgrown andthe expensive pushchairs and baby equipment they have invested in, so as to putsome cash back into their pockets.
         Besides individuals, businesses have also caught on to the profitability of thesharing economy and are seeking to gain from making use of those underutilizedresources. A business model that has rapidly risen in popularity sees companiesproviding an online platform that puts customers in contact with those who canprovide a particular product or service. Companies like Airbnb is a collaborativeplatform characterized by offering accommodation, having previously reserved it,from an individual. As well as allowing people to cash in on their unused rooms, theplatform provides its users the opportunity to share experiences and discover othercultures. Since its creation in 2008, Airbnb has not only shaken up the travel sector,but also the real estate market in some cities.
         This move towards a sharing economy is not without criticisms. Unlikebusinesses, unregulated individuals do not have to follow certain regulations andthis can lead to poorer and inconsistent quality of goods and services and a higherrisk of fraud. Nevertheless, in the consumerist society we live in today, the increasedopportunities to sell on our unwanted and underused goods can lead to a lesserimpact on our environment.
【題組】33. Which of the following is discussed in the passage?
(A) The suggestions on how to lobby the authorities to better protect consumers.
(B) The key factors which led to the boom of the sharing economy in recent years.
(C) The average amount of money people waste on underutilized items every year.
(D) The entrepreneur who first introduced and publicized the concept of sharingeconomy.