Freerice China launched online

The Chinese version of an online game called Freerice China was launched Wednesday by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and its Chinese partner Shanda Games, a leading Chinese gaming company. In the game, players face increasingly difficult vocabulary questions and, for every correct answer, they earn ten grains of rice, which is donated to the WFP and paid for by advertisers on the website. Millions of Chinese speakers worldwide who want to improve their English can now test their vocabulary with the game, and they can earn grains of rice to feed hungry children around the world. "Freerice has been a global phenomenon in English, French, Italian and Spanish and is now reaching a critical and influential part of the global population," said Nancy Roman, WFP director of communications, public policy and private partnerships. "China has more Internet users than any country in the world, they are curious and looking for ways to improve their mastery of English," she said. "We have always believed in the Internet as a force for good," said Shanda President and CEO Tan Qunzhao. "Young people in particular are looking for games that can entertain and educate them. Freerice does both, and simultaneously allows its players to contribute to the fight against hunger," Tan said. According to WFP, Freerice.com originally launched in English in 2007 and quickly gained popularity. In its first month, the game raised enough rice to feed over 50,000 people for a day.