After bikes and umbrellas are made sharable across China, some companies started eyeing the fitness market, so shared gym rooms have hit the streets in Beijing.
Unlike common gyms that provide large, open spaces for many members to share at the same time, the newly built shared gym rooms are small, stand-alone rooms for a person to use, often set up near living communities.
Every four-square-meter room is equipped with a treadmill (跑步机), an air cleaner, a mirror, a television and an air conditioner, and users can let down the curtains for privacy. When exercising, users can listen to music, watch movies and check emails by connecting to the Internet by the screen fixed on the treadmill. There’s no shower or washbasin.
Similar to using a shared bike, users can locate a shared gym room by smartphone application, book a room in advance and then need to scan a QR code for use. A refundable deposit (保证金) of 99 yuan is required, and users are charged 1 yuan every 5 minutes.
The shared gym rooms are created by Misspao, a Beijing-based technology company founded in July. Within several months since it was founded, the company has already raised over 100 million yuan, Yicai Global reports. The idea of the shared fitness experience is not entirely nascent. Last December, the Shanghai-based technology company VRUN set up shared treadmills in office and apartment buildings.
The sharing economy is still becoming popular in China. According to Yicai Global, confident investors are pouring millions into sharing start-ups. In March, the State Information Center published a report which predicts that the total value of China’s sharing economy will see a yearly growth of 40% in the coming years, and it is expected to make a great contribution to the country’s GDP.
8. What makes the shared gym room different from the common one?
A.Holding one person at a time. | B.Standing in the living zone. |
C.Offering open spaces. | D.Having some advanced equipment. |
9. What do people need to do to use the shared gym room?
A.Let down curtains for privacy. | B.Pay 100 yuan first. |
C.Use a smartphone. | D.Have a shower before exercise. |
10. What does the underlined word “nascent” in paragraph 5 mean?
A.Simple. | B.Popular. | C.Satisfying. | D.New. |
11. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?
A.To advertise a technology company. | B.To introduce shared gym rooms. |
C.To support the shared gym rooms. | D.To predict the future of shared gym rooms. |