WeTopia Is More than Just a Game WeTopia

 讓您玩樂做公益
Now, a new online game has added another reason to play－charity
　　Online games like Farmville have kept people up late at night and even gotten some of them addicted. They are interesting and fun and give us a break from our daily lives. Now, a new game by Sojo Studios has added another reason to play－charity. The game is called WeTopia and is available on Facebook. The goal of WeTopia is to earn points, or joy as they call it, which are used to make good things happen in the real world.
像是開心農場之類的網路遊戲一直以來都讓玩家熬夜遊玩，甚至還令某些人沉迷到無法自拔。這些遊戲既有趣又好玩，並且能讓我們在日常生活之餘調劑身心。如今由Sojo工作室所推出的某款新遊戲還額外增加了一個讓人們遊玩的理由──做公益。這個遊戲就是能在Facebook上玩的WeTopia。WeTopia的目標就是要賺取遊戲裡稱為joy的積分，而這些積分可以拿來在現實生活中做許多善事。
　　Mixing charities and online games together may seem odd, but it is actually a stroke of genius. Many people already play online games regularly, and Sojo Studios is taking advantage of that. Available in 20 countries, WeTopia is free. Players create a virtual village and earn joy for certain acts, such as building schools or creating gardens. The joy then gets donated to a charity of the player's choice. The actual money comes from advertisers and people who buy Facebook credits to spend in the game. The goal is to make donating fun and to encourage people to do it repeatedly. With celebrity fans like Ellen DeGeneres taking part, WeTopia's fame is guaranteed to grow.
將公益和網路遊戲結合在一起的做法似乎有點奇怪，但這其實是神來一筆。許多人早就會定時玩網路遊戲，而Sojo工作室正是利用這一點。WeTopia這款免費遊戲在二十個國家都玩得到。玩家負責創造一個虛擬小鎮，然後透過一些像是蓋學校或建造花園的動作來賺取joy。接著這些joy會被捐到玩家所選的慈善機構或計畫。真正捐出去的錢是從廣告商以及花錢購買Facebook遊戲點數的人那裡得來。遊戲的目的就是要讓捐款變得有趣，並且鼓勵民眾反覆捐錢。有了像是艾倫‧狄珍妮絲這類名人粉絲的參與，WeTopia的知名度保證會大大提升（編按：Ellen DeGeneres 為美國知名的脫口秀主持人）。
Questions
1. Which of the following is true about WeTopia?
(A) Players can exchange their points for real money.
(B) Players don't have to pay for the game.
(C) Players earn points by destroying villages in the game.
(D) Only famous people can join WeTopia.
1. 關於WeTopia的敘述，下列何者為真？
(A) 玩家可以將他們的積分換成真正的錢。
(B) 玩家不需花錢就可以玩遊戲。
(C) 玩家可以藉由摧毀遊戲裡的小鎮來賺取積分。
(D) 只有名人才可以加入WeTopia這款遊戲。
2. What is NOT a purpose of WeTopia?
(A) Letting people have fun and relax.
(B) Raising funds for charity.
(C) Encouraging people to do good deeds.
(D) Making a profit.
2. 下列何者不是WeTopia的用意？
(A) 讓人們可以得到樂趣、好好放鬆。
(B) 為慈善機構或計畫進行募款。
(C) 鼓勵人們為善。
(D) 賺取利潤。

答案：1. (A)　2. (C)

@Words & Phrases

1. addicted　a. 沉迷的（常與介詞 to 並用）
Sam's mother was worried that he would get addicted to drugs.
山姆的媽媽很擔心他會染上毒癮。
2. a stroke of genius　　聰明之舉，絕妙的主意
The gimmick you came up with to promote our product was a stroke of genius.
你想出來那個促銷我們產品的花招真是個好點子。
3. regularly　adv. 定期地
Sandra gets her teeth cleaned and checked regularly.
珊卓會定期去洗牙並檢查牙齒。
4. take advantage of...　　利用……
You should take advantage of my swimming pool while you are staying with me.
你住在我家的時候應該多利用我的游泳池，好好游個泳。
5. encourage + 人 + to + 原形動詞　　鼓勵∕激勵某人（做）……
Jerry encouraged his students to be true to themselves.
傑瑞鼓勵他的學生要忠於自己。
6. be guaranteed to + 原形動詞　　肯定會（做）……
This scandal is guaranteed to hit the headlines soon.
這則醜聞肯定會立刻登上頭條。
7. exchange A for B　　用 A 換 B
In order for you to exchange the faulty phone for a new one, I need to see your receipt.
我得先看看您的發票才能讓您把這支瑕疵手機退掉換成新的。
8. make a profit　　獲利
Most new businesses don't make a profit within the first six months of operation.
大多數的新公司在剛開始營運的半年內都無法獲利。

@Extra Words

1. studio　n. 工作室
2. virtual　a. 虛擬的
3. advertiser　n. 刊登廣告者，廣告客戶
4. credit　n.（遊戲的）點數