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猴子這週的錄音，STUDIO CLASSROOOM 2012.JAN  HISTORY OF MONOPOLY

猴子這段錄音，活像在報大聯盟，還真是古怪呀！

The History of MONOPOLY

This classic is still winning in the board game market

The early years

After over 75 years in production, the popular board game Monopoly continues to delight players and

rake in money. With more than 275 million games sold, Monopoly is the best-selling board game in the world. But this game's history traces back to humble beginnings. It was a game of real estate invented in 1904 by Elizabeth Magie. Her game, called The Landlord's Game, was moderately successful, often copied and revised to suit the players.

Years later, Charles Darrow from Germantown, Pennsylvania, played a version of the game and saw its potential. With the country in the midst of the Great Depression, the game's theme of easy fortune appealed to him. He invented a version and presented it to game manufacturer Parker Brothers in 1934.

They rejected the game, but Darrow wasn't discouraged. With the help of a printer, Darrow made his own games and sold them through a department store. In 1935 Darrow again presented the game to Parker Brothers, and this time they consented to produce it. Darrow's game, called Monopoly, swiftly became the best-selling game in America.

Playing the game

Monopoly is far from simple. With its complex economic strategies and rules, it has confused players for decades. Games can last for several hours or even days. The longest Monopoly game lasted 70 days!

Monopoly is played with a game board, tiny game pieces, mini houses and hotels, dice and pretend money. Players buy "real estate" on the board and try to bankrupt the other players, thus creating a monopoly. If the game can't be played long enough to eliminate all of the players, the one with the most money wins. Since its invention, Monopoly has seen a variety of changes in design. Now players can buy the game with a particular theme, such as specific movies, sports, animals or geography. A few years ago, Monopoly introduced a version with a pretend debit card to replace its colorful paper money. There's a Monopoly card game, a compact Monopoly for travel, Monopoly video games and Monopoly apps for smartphones. With so many new ways to play, it's clear Monopoly isn't content to stay behind the times.

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WPM = 374 / 3:48 = 94