## Step 2 - Reading

Home exchange
You are going to read two short texts. One is about home swapping and the other is about couch-surfing.

- Work together with three or four classmates and do exercise 1.
- Read the texts and do exercise 2.

#### Exercise 1

What is couch-surfing? And what about home swapping?

- DON’T read the texts yet.
- Together, come up with and write down definitions of both home swapping and couch-surfing.
- Read the texts and check if your definitions are correct.

Home swapping Home swapping is a mutual exchange of homes, usually at the same time, for an agreed period in the same country or abroad. It enables you to step into other people’s lives free of charge, making it a very economical way to travel. All you need to start is a home to exchange, large or small; it can be in a city or in the countryside. Then you register on one of the many home swapping websites (most have a small fee) and set up a profile with a description and pictures of your home. You can experience a different culture first-hand and meet local people, without exchanging any money. You can also feel safe that your house is not empty and that somebody is looking after your plants and even your pet. As with all transactions over the Internet, there are risks. You are allowing a stranger to live in your home, use your things; while at the same time you are hoping to find what they write about their home is true, so that you do not have a bad holiday. Couch Surfing CouchSurfing is an American expression for students staying on the sofas, or couches of other students, who they do not really know. Today, it is an international social networking site with over 3 million people in over 230 countries, exchanging hospitality or joining in activities together. You can register free of charge and provide as much or as little information about yourself as you choose. When you find likeminded people, you agree on what you want to do together, where and when. It can be as simple as going to a party, or visiting somebody on the other side of the world. It is an economical way to meet new people, learn about other cultures and places and try new activities, not as a tourist, but as a local. You also have the opportunity to share your experiences, interests and knowledge with others. There are a number of security checks, which the site offers, but you are essentially trusting what another person chooses to share with and you might just not have the experience you are expecting. As with all social networking sites, you need to be careful.

##### Exercise 2