Rock Paper Scissors: Let's Have Fun

A zero-cost game that beat boredom on a long train ride · 火车上的猜拳时光

My father took us on a cross-country train tour. We were on the train for several days. My brother and I were really excited the first day. We were watching the countryside roll by outside, talking to passengers in nearby seats, and sleeping in bunk beds.

But soon, the novelty wore off. On the second day, my brother cried, "We’re bored!" Dad replied, "Bored? I will not tolerate that. Just because you can’t play on the computer doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do."

He suggested that we play a game he used to play when he was a boy. "This game is called Rock, Paper, Scissors. You don’t need anything to play it," he explained. "All the kids in my village loved playing. It’s really easy, and it helps you concentrate, too."

Then, he showed us how to play the game. There are three moves. A hand closed like a fist is a rock. A hand flat, with all fingers touching, is paper. And a hand with two fingers out like a pair of scissors is, of course, scissors. Easy, right? That’s all there is to it. You raise your hand above your head, count to three, and bring down your hand in one of the three gestures. Here’s how to determine the winner. Rock breaks scissors, paper covers rock, and scissors cut paper.

Not complicated at all! Of course, all the hands have to come out at the same time. So you all call out "Rock, paper, scissors!" On the last one, you show your hand with one of the three gestures. Let’s say you bring down a rock, and your opponent brings down scissors. The rock breaks the scissors and you win. If you both bring down the same gesture, it’s a tie.

We started playing right away. "Rock, paper, scissors!" I won! "Again," my brother begged. We played the game with my brother, my father, and nearby passengers. We laughed a lot.

We love this game. It’s simple, but fun. You can play it anytime and anywhere.

And yet, it’s psychological, it’s mental and it requires concentration, too.

Rock Paper Scissors: Let's Have Fun — A timeless game that beats boredom

My father took us on a cross-country train t(1)__________. We were on the train for several days. My brother and I were really e(2)__________ the first day. We were watching the countryside roll by outside, talking to passengers in nearby seats, and sleeping in bunk beds.

But soon, the n(3)__________ wore off. On the second day, my brother cried, "We’re bored!" Dad replied, "Bored? I will not t(4)__________ that. Just because you can’t play on the computer doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do."

He s(5)__________ that we play a game he used to play when he was a boy. "This game is called Rock, Paper, Scissors. You don’t need anything to play it," he explained. "All the kids in my village loved playing. It’s really easy, and it helps you c(6)__________, too."

Then, he showed us how to play the game. There are three moves. A hand closed like a fist is a rock. A hand flat, with all fingers touching, is paper. And a hand with two fingers out like a pair of scissors is, of course, scissors. Easy, right? That’s all there is to it. You raise your hand above your head, count to three, and bring down your hand in one of the three g(7)__________. Here’s how to determine the winner. Rock breaks scissors, paper covers rock, and scissors cut paper.

Not complicated at all! Of course, all the hands have to come out at the same time. So you all call out "Rock, paper, scissors!" On the last one, you show your hand with one of the three gestures. Let’s say you bring down a rock, and your o(8)__________ brings down scissors. The rock breaks the scissors and you win. If you both bring down the same gesture, it’s a tie.

We started playing right away. "Rock, paper, scissors!" I won! "Again," my brother b(9)__________. We played the game with my brother, my father, and nearby passengers. We laughed a lot.

We love this game. It’s simple, but fun. You can play it anytime and anywhere.

And yet, it’s p(10)__________, it’s mental and it requires concentration, too.

📌 重点单词 · Key Vocabulary

🔗 重点词组 · Key Phrases

💡 语法小贴士 · Grammar Tips

✊ 文化拓展 · The World's Simplest Mind Game

石头剪刀布绝不是"小孩游戏"——它可能是世界上传播最广的手势游戏。普遍认为它源自中国的"猜拳"（唐代酒令中的"手势令"），经日本（じゃんけん，janken）发扬并定形，19 世纪随交流传入西方，成为英语世界家喻户晓的 Rock, Paper, Scissors。由于规则零门槛、无需任何道具，它至今仍是全世界决定"谁先来、谁买单"的公平仲裁方式。

别小看它，这游戏还有"世界锦标赛"（World RPS Society 举办过多年）， scientists 也认真研究过它：统计显示普通人出"石头"的频率最高（约 35%），新手习惯先出石头；而心理学实验发现，输家倾向于模仿赢家的上一手势，赢家则倾向于换手势。所以文中说它是 psychological、mental、requires concentration——完全正确：它比拼的不是手速，而是"猜透对方"的心理功夫。

这个故事里最值得回味的，是爸爸面对"无聊"的态度："Just because you can’t play on the computer doesn’t mean there's nothing to do." 在屏幕无处不在的今天，一副手势、一句口令就能让整节车厢笑起来的老游戏，恰恰提醒我们：快乐未必需要插电。下次旅途无聊时，不妨学这位爸爸，把长辈童年里的游戏传下去——这也正是文中"父亲教儿子、儿子也许再教别人"的传承意味。