1. FreeRice.com is an English vocabulary game that aims to fight hunger.

2. Whoever thought learning new words could feel socially responsible? A Web site called FreeRice.com is an English vocabulary game. It explains its purpose like this: "For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger."

3. The site began in October. It says thirty billion grains of rice have been donated so far. The United Nations World Food Program does not really get rice. The donations are given in the form of money.

4. Advertisers whose names appear with links at the bottom of the game pay for the rice. (1) Individuals can also become sponsors. (2)

5. Words are presented with four choices of answers. Players click on the one that best defines the word. If they answer correctly, they get a harder word. If they choose wrong, they get an easier word. (3)

6. Currently, the FreeRice game has fifty-five levels of difficulty. Players rarely get past level forty-eight.

7. "Does FreeRice make any money from this?" That is one of the frequently asked questions on the site. "No, it does not. FreeRice runs the site at no profit," says the answer.

8. Internet businessman John Breen created FreeRice. Since October, five hundred seventy metric tons of rice have been donated, enough to feed about a million and a half people for one day.

9. The game is said to be especially popular with college students and young people who visit social networking sites.

10. Jennifer Parmelee is a World Food Program spokeswoman in Washington. She says cash donations help the agency to buy food locally and transport it quickly to where it is needed.

11. For example, with donations from the site, rice for Nepal was recently bought in the area at half the world market price. Bangladesh, Cambodia and Uganda also have received food through FreeRice.

12. Over the last nine months, though, the cost to secure food aid has increased fifty-five percent. Jennifer Parmelee says this is the biggest crisis the World Food Program has faced in its forty-five year history. She says creative projects like FreeRice are badly needed right now.

comprehension

9. Now read the whole text and decide whether these statements are true (T❒) or false (F❒):

1. FreeRice.com is an English vocabulary game that aims to fight serious illnesses. T❒ F❒

2. When learning new words with the help of FreeRice.com people feel socially responsible. T❒ F❒

3. The donations are always given in the form of rice. T❒ F❒

4. The United Nations World Food Program pays for the rice. T❒ F❒

5. Individuals can also become sponsors of the game. T❒ F❒

6. FreeRice runs the site at no profit. T❒ F❒

7. FreeRice buys rice and transports it to developing countries. T❒ F❒

10. The following sentence can be added to the text:

Spoken pronunciations are also provided.

Where would it best fit in the text? Possible sentence positions are marked with (1), (2), (3).

11. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the text?

(A) Creative projects like FreeRice are socially important and have to be run at no profit.

(B) Creative projects like FreeRice are socially important and badly needed to fight hunger in developing countries.

(C) FreeRice.com is an English vocabulary game that aims to fight hunger in developing countries.

(D) Creative projects like FreeRice are especially popular with college students and young people who visit social networking sites.

12. Complete each sentence with one of the following words:

• tons • buy • students • feed • transport • people • badly • English

1. Five hundred seventy metric … of rice are enough to … about a million and a half people for one day.

2. More and more college … and young … visit social networking sites.

3. Donations from some social networking sites help the agency to … food locally and … it quickly to where it is needed.

4. FreeRice.com is an … vocabulary game that aims to fight hunger.

5. Creative Internet projects are … needed right now.

Speaking

13. Discuss the following with your partner:

What do you think the key causes of hunger are? Explain your choice.

• natural disasters

• economic conflicts

• political conflicts

• poverty

• poor agricultural infrastructure

• overexploitation of the environment

• other

UNIT VII

Business and Psychology

Warm-up Activities