I wish I had thought of this idea. While listening to National Public Radio this afternoon I heard a story about a Web site that seeks to help end world hunger while it also enlarges the vocabularies of site visitors.
The FreeRice.com Web site will surely interest the denizens of dkos. Visitors to this site can play a vocabulary game that donates 10 grains of rice for every correct answer to a multiple choice vocabulary quiz. The rice is distributed through the United Nations.
How do they do this? Follow me below.
FreeRice.com sells ads that run at the bottom of the quiz screen. The ads are tasfully done and do not visually distract from the quiz format.
The advertisers pay FreeRice.com to run their ads at the bottom of every quiz screen. As the site's FAQs explains, "The money generated by these advertisements is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people."
Who distributes the rice? The same FAQ section on the site says:
The rice is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). The World Food Program is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good. Wherever possible, the World Food Program buys food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. We encourage you to visit the United Nations World Food Program to learn more about their successful approach to ending hunger.
The word quiz does not end if you answer a question wrong. Instead the program adjusts and gives you an easier word. The program, in effect, learns where the frontier of your word knowledge is located and then peppers you with words at that level. The game is never over until you tire.
It's a beautiful idea. While you improve your vocabulary you earn rice grains to help end world hunger!
The system works in a difficulty range of 1-50. My vocabulary tops out somewhere around the low 40s. At that point I was making educated guesses.
How good is your vocabulary? Give it a try, it's addicting.