Unit 19
On-Demand Economy
新知思想/趣味科普
New Knowledge/Fun Science
BRAIN STORM
Share your ideas with your teacher and try to make sentences.
What are the products or services that are on-demand today?
VOCABULARY
Repeat these sentences after your teacher.
1. era (n.) 時代
This era is led by technology.
這個時代是由技術引領的。
2. on-demand (n.) 按需
Product repair services are on-demand.
產品維修服務是按需提供的。
3. instantaneously (v.) 瞬間、立即
When you are in danger, instantaneously death is possible.
當您處於危險之中時，有可能立即死亡。
4. taking advantage of (phr.) 利用、佔便宜
Stop taking advantage of the kindness of others.
停止利用他人的善良。
5. desperate (adj.) 飢渴、無路可走
She is desperate to have that job.
她渴望得到這份工作。
6. tied to (phr.) 被捆綁
She is tied to her love for her job.
她對工作的熱愛與她息息相關
7. limo (n.) 豪華轎車
I saw a limo yesterday. It was beautiful!
昨天我看到了一輛豪華轎車。它過去挺美！
Dialogue
Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.
I love this new service. It‘s Uber for dog walking. I can get a dog walker anytime I want.
我太喜歡這個新服務了。是遛狗界的優步。只要我需要，就能立即找到人幫我溜狗。
I thought you enjoyed taking your dog for a walk!
我還以為你喜歡自己遛呢！
I do. But when I’m not able to do it because of work or hanging out with you, for instance, there’s someone to do it with the click of a button.
我喜歡啊。但是有時候我沒辦法自己遛，比如工作忙的時候或者要跟你出來。這種時候只要按一下手機，就有人幫我 遛狗啦。
Gosh, there’s an Uber for everything these days. Dog walking, house cleaning, dry cleaning, even picking up your coffee and muffin order!
天吶，現在真是什麼行業都有Uber。遛狗、家政、連幫你跑腿買咖啡和麥芬都有！
This is the new era of on-demand economy. It matches supply with demand at the exact moment of need. Can you imagine we used to have to wait or change our plans to get services that can happen instantaneously now? I read a Wall Street Journal article that predicted half of the workforce would be working on an on-demand basis.
這就是按需經濟的新時代。將供和需在最精準的時刻結合起來。你能想像以前有多少服務都需要你左等右等、甚至改變自己一天的計劃，現在這些服務都立即就能得到。哎，我讀過一篇華爾街日報的文章，預測說以後有一半的勞動力都會做這種按需的工作。
Well, I feel like it‘s creating a new underclass of service people. Most of them don’t have employment contracts, no medical coverage or any other benefits. Yes it’s great for consumers, but aren’t we taking advantage of people desperate for work?
我覺得這就是創造了一個新的佣人階級。這些人大部分都沒有勞動合同，也沒有醫保或者其它員工福利。當然，對消費者來說是不錯。但是你不覺得我們是在佔急於找工作的人的便宜嗎？
So you don’t think it’s an effective way of creating jobs? Instead of being unemployed or tied to a low paying job, many people now have the option to choose how they work or being paid based on how much they work. Many Uber drivers make way more money than when they were working for a limo or taxi company.
I am all for choice and market forces. I see it as a great opportunity to unleash productivity and creativity. I don’t feel the same kind of moral skepticism that you do. Hey, want to get someone to mix drinks for us at the party next weekend?
難道你不覺得這是一種高效創造就業的手段嗎？相對於失業或者被一份低薪的工作套住，很多人現在可以根據自己情況來選擇做什麼工作和乾多少活。很多Uber司機現在掙得比原來開出租車或者包車多得多。
總之我完全支持個人選擇和市場力量。我覺得這是一個解放勞動力和創意的好機會。我才沒有你那種道德包袱呢。嗨，下週末的派對要不要叫人來幫我們調酒喝？
I am not saying that it’s all bad. It’s a disruptive model. But government policies have failed to keep up with the pace of change in terms of adjusting benefit schemes for these workers. And it really bugs me when people just expect to be served by someone.
Let me guess. There’s an Uber for that!
我不是說按需經濟都不好。它是一個顛覆性的商業模式。不過政府政策遠遠沒有適應這種變化，出台相應的福利保障政策給這批人。而且我很不認同現在很多人利用這些服務等著別人伺候自己。
我猜猜，有個專門的Uber調酒服務！
Grammar
The Uber of x, y, z
Even though a good deal of us like new things, we don’t like them to be too new, otherwise we wouldn’t understand them. That’s why new products are often compared to older products. For example: the Uber of dog-walking. Another common example is to compare a product to the Cadillac, an American luxury car.
1. Our business model is quite simple: we are the Uber for babysitters.
2. I wouldn’t say that I have the Cadillac of health care plans, but I’m still covered for most things.
3. My dream is to open the Starbucks of Juice Bars.
4. I’m like the Obama of baristas: More milk? Yes we can!
5. ___________________________________________________________.
DISCUSSION
Make a conversation with your teacher.
1.What are the factors that can influence a product or a services’ demand?
