The New York Times buys Wordle
The New York Times newspaper has bought the online word game Wordle. The paper is well known for the games it publishes. Wordle is the latest addition to its list of puzzles. Wordle is a new online game. Its creator, Josh Wardle, only uploaded it in October. In the past four months, it has become a craze around the world. Social media sites are now full of posts from people playing the game and sharing their score. The New York Times said it paid "an undisclosed price in the low seven figures" for the game. A spokesperson was excited the paper would be able to publish the game. She wrote: "We could not be more thrilled to become the new home and proud stewards of this magical game."
Mr Wardle is a former software engineer for the website Reddit. He created Wordle for his partner to play. He released it in October. He was surprised after 90 people played it on the day of its release. It is now played by millions every day. Mr Wardle tweeted: "The game has got bigger than I ever imagined (which I suppose isn't that much of a feat, given I made the game for an audience of one)." Wordle players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word. After each attempt, the game gives the player feedback on which of the letters they have used are in the correct place, or are correct letters but are in the wrong place. The New York Times said that "initially" the game would remain free.
Part 1
1 The acquisition of Wordle marks the first time the New York Times has ever acquired a business in the gaming industry.
2 Wordle has been a global sensation since its release.
3 It is reported that the New York Times paid millions of dollars to acquire ownership of the game.
4 The creator of Wordle is currently an employee of Reddit.
5 According to Wardle, the game's current success is attributed to the support of his partners.
6 The New York Times plans to turn Wordle into a pay-to-play game immediately after the acquisition.
Questions 7-14
Fill in the blank with the words in the table
| astonished | tries | designed | creator |
| acquired | keep | addition | popularity |
| publish | launched | newspaper | social media |
The New York Times has 7 the online game Wordle, which adds to its collection of published puzzles. Created by Josh Wardle, the game was 8 just four months ago and has quickly gained global 9 , with many sharing their scores on social media. The 10 purchased Wordle for a sum in the low seven figures, though the exact amount remains undisclosed. Wardle, who originally 11 the game for his partner, was 12 by its rapid growth from 90 initial players to millions daily. Wordle challenges players to guess a five-letter word within six 13 , providing feedback on letter placement. The New York Times plans to 14 the game free initially.
Questions 15-22
Match the words with their correct definitions
| launch | creator | puzzle | feedback |
| undisclosed | acquire | thrilled | magical |
| attempt | initially | global sensation | popularity |
| Word | Type | Definition |
| 15 | n | the act of trying to do something difficult. |
| 16 | adj | when information is not shared. |
| 17 | v | to start or introduce something new. |
| 18 | v | to purchase something. |
| 19 | n | something which makes everyone excited all over the world. |
| 20 | adj | extremely happy about something. |
| 21 | n | a game where players use skills or knowledge to solve a problem. |
| 22 | adv | at the beginning. |