Strangers at the Dinner Table|餐桌上的陌生人

by Marcus Maurice

Would you like to eat a three-course meal with people you don't know?

　　Airbnb was a strange concept to start with. The founders thought that people might want to _(1)_ out their apartments or homes to strangers when they were away on vacation to earn some extra cash. They were not sure if people would trust strangers enough to let them in their houses, but they tried anyway. The gamble paid

_(2)_ and the service caught on. Now Airbnb is a global phenomenon. Airbnb has become one of the most successful startups in the world, and it is currently _(3)_ at around US$10 billion. Now, Airbnb is back at it again and this time they want people to cook for others they do not know.

　　Airbnb is always _(4)_ with new ways to create memorable experiences. They recently created dinner with strangers in San Francisco. This is a platform where people can invite strangers into their homes, cook them a three-course meal, and make US$25 per person. Airbnb takes a small cut of this _(5)_, just like they do for renting apartments. When the meal is done, people can review the dishes and let others know if it is _(6)_ to try that person's food. After the meal, the people can choose to hang around and socialize or just go home.

　　While dinner with strangers has only just started, it seems like a no-brainer that it will catch on quickly. Airbnb has a great network of people who trust each other's reviews. This is a great way to meet new people in a _(7)_ setting while eating delicious meals. Imagine the possibility of going to a foreign country for vacation and eating a home-cooked meal with new friends right off the plane.

1. (A) rent (B) wear (C) fill (D) make

2. (A) in (B) up (C) down (D) off

3. (A) registered (B) limited (C) noted (D) valued

4. (A) interfering (B) experimenting (C) colliding (D) paralleling

5. (A) obligation (B) intonation (C) transaction (D) subscription

6. (A) worthwhile (B) sociable (C) deliberate (D) alternative

7. (A) conscious (B) creepy (C) unique (D) previous

餐桌上的陌生人

你想要和陌生人共进一顿三道菜的晚餐吗？

　　空中食宿（Airbnb）一开始是个很怪异的概念。创办人认为大家可能会想要在出远门旅游的时候，将自己的公寓或房子出租给陌生人以赚取额外的钱。他们不确定是否大家会对陌生人有足够的信任，好让陌生人进入到自己的家中，不过他们还是尝试了。结果这项赌注奏效了，且该服务还开始盛行了起来。如今，空中食宿成了全球性的现象。它已成为世界上最成功的初创企业之一，目前市值约一百亿美金。现在，空中食宿又回来了，这回他们希望大家替陌生人来煮饭。

　　空中食宿总是不断尝试新方法来制造难忘的经验。他们最近在旧金山创立了『与陌生人共进晚餐』。这是一个能让大家邀请陌生人到他们家、为他们准备一顿三道菜的晚餐，并且每人收取二十五美元的平台。空中食宿会从这样的交易中获取少部份利润，就像他们在出租公寓时的作法一样。当这顿晚餐完成后，大家可以评论菜色，再告诉其他人这个人所准备的食物是否值得一试。餐后，大家可以选择继续逗留，还是彼此交际应酬，或者直接回家。

　　虽然『与陌生人共进晚餐』才刚起步，但似乎不用动脑就知道它很快就会流行起来。空中食宿有良好的社交网络，人们信任彼此的评论。在特别的场景里享用美味餐点是一种认识新朋友的好方法。想象一下你有可能去国外度假，而且还能与刚下飞机的新朋友一起享用家常菜喔。

答案： 1. A 2. D 3. D 4. B 5. C

6. A 7. C