Thursday, April 24, 2008
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Try this trick to strengthen your short-term memory.
Want to keep your brain sharp, increase your vocabulary, and help end world hunger all at the same time? The folks at freerice.com not only make this possible, they make it fun, too.
Here's how it works: When you click on the homepage, a word pops up with four possible definitions. Choose the correct meaning, and 20 virtual grains of rice appear in a bowl. Get another one right—20 more grains. As you complete the first few questions, the computer analyzes your vocabulary level and continually adjusts the degree of difficulty to keep the game challenging, but not too daunting.
So how does this virtual rice get turned into real food? Advertising on the site generates the necessary funding to buy the rice. The United Nations World Food Program [WFP] then distributes it to those in need.
Besides helping to feed hungry people, you can profit personally from the vocabulary drills. Spend a few minutes a day brushing up on words like "gimcrack" or "flinders" and see how much you learn.
What's more, the game is cross-generational, so it's perfect to play with your grandchildren, even if you're long distance. Jennifer Gennick, a teacher in Huntsville, Alabama says her second-graders love the game as much as she does. "It's addicting," she admits, "especially when you see the rice start piling up in the bowl."
So, play it with your grandkids, use it to keep your verbal skills sharp, or simply log on to help save a starving child. Any way you look at it, the win-win elements of freerice.com make this a game you can't lose.
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