Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 21, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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pastille
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using "Should"The modal verb "should" is used to politely express obligations or duties. It is also used to ask for or issue advice, suggestions, and recommendations; to describe an expectation; to express surprise; and to create what kind of sentences? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Papyrus of the Nile DeltaPapyrus was an early form of paper made from the pith of the papyrus plant, a wetland sedge that once flourished in the Nile Delta. Though its earliest use has been traced to Ancient Egypt, it was also widely used throughout the Mediterranean region, inland parts of Europe, and southwest Asia. Making a sheet of papyrus involves a complex process of layering the inner piths of the stems, then hammering, drying, and polishing them. What unlikely article of clothing was made from papyrus? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Demon Core Goes Critical (1945)The Demon Core was a plutonium core—used in nuclear testing at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico—so nicknamed because it resulted in the deaths of two scientists in separate accidents. In 1945, Harry Daghlian accidentally dropped a tungsten carbide brick onto the core, causing it to go "critical," or achieve a chain reaction of nuclear fission. Daghlian stopped the reaction, but died from radiation poisoning a month later. What happened to the second scientist nine months later? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Wilt Chamberlain (1936)One of the greatest offensive players in the history of basketball, "Wilt the Stilt" set many records and led the National Basketball Association in scoring every season from 1959 to 1965. He played in his hometown of Philadelphia with the Warriors and 76ers, and later with California's Los Angeles Lakers. He holds the records for both most points in a single game—100—and most rebounds in a single game—55, which he achieved against his long-time rival Bill Russell. How tall was Chamberlain? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 'Tis the good reader that makes the good book; a good head cannot read amiss: in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakably meant for his ear.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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know (one's) own mind— To be firmly resolute and confident in one's ideas, intentions, plans, or opinions. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Klondike Gold Discovery Day (2017)On August 17, 1896, George Washington Carmack discovered gold at Bonanza Creek in northwestern Canada's Yukon Territory. His discovery triggered a huge gold rush and an enormous influx of American miners and traders. To this day, mining remains the area's most important industry. Also known as Discovery Day, this important event in Canada's history is observed as a public holiday in the Yukon. The city of Dawson celebrates with various special events, including a parade, musical entertainment, bathtub races, and, of course, panning for gold. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: ranchbiscuit shooter - A waitress at a lunch counter or a cook on a ranch. More... dude, dude ranch - A dude is a city-dweller, especially one vacationing on a ranch—hence, dude ranch. More... ranch dressing - A creamy buttermilk-based dressing with garlic and other spices and herbs, developed at Hidden Valley Ranch in Santa Barbara in the 1950s. More... ranch - From Spanish rancho, "group of persons eating together." More... | |
| In the News | |
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Scientists Create Vomiting Machine to Study How Norovirus is TransmittedResearchers have used animal models, stem cells, and 3-D printing to solve some of science’s greatest mysteries. But now, students and professors at North Carolina State University are using a custom-made barfing machine and artificial vomit to study ... More... | |