The Infinite Game

2024-07-30 00:00:00 / episode: 397

Hi You’re about to listen to a story for Listening practice. This story is about games that are played in a different way. In fact the many people play these games all the time and you can hear the a way to play these games in your life in the story. Here are some pre-listening questions.

Questions

1. Why do people play infinite games?
2. How did Max change the way he played chess?
3. Why was Jake confused?
4. Soon, what was the whole school talking about?
5. What did Max realise?

Hi and welcome to the English Listening World podcast episode number 397. This podcast is for listening practice. I have 15 words and expressions highlighted in today's story for you to get practice listening to. In particular, the expression ‘so … that’ is repeated. I will put the full list of highlighted words in the description below.

Games

Max was a curious boy. He loved playing games, not just any games, but games that never seemed to end. One day, he found a blog by a man named Graham Duncan. Graham wrote about something called "infinite games." Max was so curious that he read the whole blog in one sitting.

An infinite game, Max learned, was a game played not to win, but to keep playing. It was so interesting that it made Max think about his own life. Could he turn his life into an infinite game? Max decided to try.

Start With Chess

Max started with his favourite game, chess. He loved chess because it was so complex that every game was different. Instead of playing to win, Max tried to see how long he could keep the game going. He and his friends played for hours, creating new strategies and learning from each other. Max found that he enjoyed chess more this way.

Then Max thought about school. School was like a game too, but it had rules and tests that made it feel like a finite game. Max wondered if he could change his approach. He began to see each lesson as a part of an infinite game of learning. He asked more questions, explored more topics, and tried to learn beyond the textbooks. Max found learning more fun this way.

Happy

Max's friends noticed the change. "Why are you always so happy?" asked his friend Jake. "Because I'm playing infinite games," Max replied with a grin. Jake was confused. Max explained, "Infinite games are games you play to keep playing. You don't just play to win or lose. You play to learn and have fun."

The Club

Jake decided to try it too. They both started looking at their daily lives as parts of infinite games. They even started a club called "The Infinite Players." In their club, they shared ideas on how to turn more things into infinite games. They played sports not just to win, but to enjoy the game and improve their skills. They did their homework to understand more, not just to get good grades.

Max and Jake found that playing infinite games made their lives richer and more exciting. They were always learning, always having fun, and always looking for the next challenge. Their club grew as more friends joined, and soon, their whole school was talking about infinite games.

One day, Max's teacher, Mrs. Henderson, asked him about the club. Max told her everything he had learned from Graham Duncan's blog. Mrs. Henderson was so impressed that she decided to use the idea in her lessons. She made learning so interesting that students didn't want the school day to end.

Not Just Kids

Max realised that infinite games were not just for kids. They were for everyone. Life itself was an infinite game, so complex that it never truly ended. Max knew he had found something special. He would keep playing, learning, and having fun for the rest of his life.

And so, Max's journey continued, always looking for new ways to turn life's challenges into infinite games, always eager to learn and grow. He knew the game would never end, and that was the best part of all.

Answers

1. Why do people play infinite games? People play infinite games to keep on playing.
2. How did Max change the way he played chess?
   Max changed by not trying to win. He tried to keep the game going.
3. Why was Jake confused?
   Jake was confused because he did not know what infinite games were.
4. Soon, what was the whole school talking about?
   Soon the whole school was talking about infinite games.
5. What did Max realise? Max realised infinite games were not just for kids; they were for everybody.