Seriously, go check this site out.
Last night, I received a link for Freerice.com, a site put together by the man who created (in 1999) the Hungersite.com and Poverty.com. In conjunction with the United Nations’ World Food Programme, this site has started attracting the attention of word lovers all over the globe. As an English teacher and someone dedicated to helping make this world a better place, I am prompted to do my utmost in supporting this endeavor. Plus? I get to flout my excessive wordiness for a damn fine cause.
Essentially, for every correct answer on their portal site’s vocabulary quiz, they will donate 10 grains of rice. Since the site’s launch date of October 7th, over a billion grains of rice have been donated; in the process, the donater tests and augments his or her vocabulary. Words in varying ranges of complexity like lachrymal, arcuate, perfidity, probity and benighted appear and then the site offers four possible definition choice and simultaneously tracks the donater’s vocabulary based on ratio of correct answers.
I sat for a good 25 minutes, gleefully and exuberantly testing my knowledge of words I’d learned from years of ingesting books and delicious word choices. Rice.com makes use of a tremendously enticing hook for people like me (I AM a word whore and proud of it) to get the food donations they desperately need. I had to stop to go to bed, but I had attained a 45 vocab level before I let Bob drag me away from the computer. Never mind Bookworm, go here.
Then, spread the word.
I’ve been playing here for about a week now. So addictive. And I love the fact that it’s for a good cause.
Word whores unite!
45 is rather impressive. I managed 41 but i think it was a fluke (chance, coincidence, accident, twist of fate; piece of luck, stroke of good luck/fortune, serendipity)
Oh my gosh, Snob, I positively ITCH to get onto that site. I sat with my ten-year old today and we had us a vocabalooza. Hee hee; subversive learning.
Dan, thank you; I”m quite chuffed by my 45 and look forward to topping it, if I can. Thanks for the lovely comment
(annotation, backtalk, buzz, comeback, commentary, crack, discussion, editorial, elucidation, exposition, footnote, gloss, input, judgment, mention, note, obiter, observation, opinion, remark, report). : )
I LOVE that site. I agree, though, in its almost demonic capacity to suck whole hours out of a day…
I’m definitely going to have to check that one out, although I fear I will not be as word wise as I like to think I am. Nonetheless, it’s for a good cause, so I’m there!
I,ve just started playing, enjoyed it but got fed up when they made a mistake, pollex for thumb instead of pollux.
Hey,
Avanoo is a startup that is trying to help make the world better by letting people use a new support channel- web presence. Web users can go to Avanoo.com get a badge for a cause and start raising awareness and donations 24/7 effortlessly. And each time one of these badge is clicked, a donation is made to the nonprofit organization on the badge. If you could put a badge on you blog or write about this growing movement, you would be helping to make the world a better place!
Thanks,
Rajesh