共居：城市生活的新時尚

貴州 羅躍梅

受當前城市中心房價上漲的影響，共居正成為共享經濟環境下的一種新趨勢，為那些收入拮據的年輕人提供了節省居住成本的新方向。

題材社會體裁說明文文章詞數 難度 建議用時344 ★★★ 6 分鐘

The trend of shared real estate(住宅區) spaces is expanding in various global cities, and it is particularly being welcomed by younger individuals such as Generation Z. Given how the current housing prices in urban centers are going up, the co-living trend might just be the pocket-friendly answer many young home-seekers are looking for.

While the idea of sharing spaces with others as a way of saving money is nothing new. The coliving is a concept that differs from the notion of “having roommates”. Private bedrooms, combined with common spaces shared with other people, are features these two brands of housing share.

However, the way co-living differs from the traditional roommate arrangements is that the former comes with individual leases (租約). In contrast, the latter comes with a master lease all residents are covered with. Co-living is, in essence, a cut-down version of roommate arrangements that only keeps its good parts while eliminating the bad ones.

Another advantage of this rental arrangement is the ability to spend more on experiences instead of paying for living in a larger home. And if there's something Millennials and Gen Zers are known for, they tend to value experience over material possessions, and sharing a living space is a great way to facilitate such a lifestyle and focus on things that matter most.

Whether it's the appeal of the larger cities that attracts them, or the fact that they landed a job that requires moving to a densely populated area. Making new connections in a big city may come as a challenge to Millennials and Gen Zers, sharing a rented living space eliminates this anxiety as it instantly provides you with an opportunity to meet new people and develop long-lasting relationships.

While the co-living concept is being embraced by young individuals worldwide, many are still unfamiliar with how co-living really works. Therefore, it doesn't come as a surprise that some people would be concerned about their privacy and safety. However, we can see this particular housing model gaining popularity in times to come.

Reading Check

Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What is the difference between co-living and having roommates?

A. Co-living has individual rents.

B. Co-living has private bedrooms.

C. Having roommates means sharing common spaces.

D. Having roommates will cut down one's expense of living.

2. What contributes to the popularity of co-living according to the author?

A. The less cost of living together in cities.

B. Much more value on material possessions.

C. The better-paid jobs are all in bigger cities.

D. The housing construction is not on the rise.

3. What does the underlined word “eliminating” in the third paragraph mean?

A. Destroying. B. Cutting in. C. Removing. D. Putting off.

4. What can be another title of the text?

A. The advantage of co-living

B. The rising trend of co-living

C. The appropriate living style in the future

D. New generations with energy-saving housing

Language Study

Text-based chunks

differ from 與……不同

save money 省錢

be combined with 與……結合

in contrast 相反的

in essence 本質上；實質上

be known for... 因……而著名

provide sb with... 為某人提供……

be unfamiliar with 不熟悉

gain popularity 受歡迎；流行