Now this is interesting: a website called FreeRice.com hosts an online vocabulary game that actually feeds the hungry. Here’s how it works: you’re given a specific word and are asked to click on the multiple choice answer that best defines it. For each word you get right, they donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.
Apparently, FreeRice.com is a sister site of Poverty.com – a private website dedicated to raising awareness about world poverty. (According to their tally, Free Rice has donated 9,868,446,910 grains of rice to date.)
Having played this game several times, I can safely attest two things: it is seriously addictive, and my vocabulary isn’t nearly as stellar as I’d like to admit. But what more noble reason to bust out the thesarus?
Directions to this site came to me a couple of weeks ago, and I had a wonderful time with it. It gives such pleasure to have fun and be doing a good deed at the same time. I did it about three times, and the words kept getting harder and harder, so I think I’m finished.
I love this site and just sent it on to as many friends as I could think of with vocabularies better than mine. Sadly it was a long list . . .
Thanks for the post!
Yes, this site is addictive! I actually heard a segment on NPR in which the originator said that people were doing so well that they had to add harder words at the high end. Works well while listening to classic Christmas ballads too.