Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 30, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unmindful
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Common Modifier MistakesIf we place a modifier too far away from the thing it describes, it can become a "misplaced modifier." We must also make sure that the thing being modified is explicitly stated in the text, otherwise we might be left with a "dangling modifier." What is a "squinting modifier"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 TaklamakanOne of the largest sandy deserts in the world, the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China is approximately 600 miles (965 km) across, with an area of 105,000 square miles (272,000 sq km). It is crossed at its northern and southern edges by two branches of the Silk Road, whose travelers sought to avoid the arid wasteland. Archeological digs in the Taklamakan's sand cover, which is 1,000 feet (300 m) thick in some places, have revealed what 4,000-year-old discoveries? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Botswana Gains Independence from Britain (1966)The 1867 discovery of gold in Botswana excited interest from several European powers. In 1885, the British created the Bechuanaland Protectorate there as a defense against the Boers. Although this spawned no nationalist movement, Britain granted it internal self-government in 1965 and full independence as Botswana the next year. Seretse Khama became its first president. Botswana's economy has developed rapidly since independence. Why is a member of the main tribe of Botswana called a Motswana? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jacques Necker (1732)French financier and statesman Jacques Necker retired in the early 1780s. Returning to Paris in 1787, Necker was soon exiled from the city for engaging in public controversy over financial policy. In 1788, Louis XVI recalled Necker as director-general of finances and minister of state. Supporting reforms, he was acclaimed by the populace. When his enemies at court again secured his dismissal in 1789, the populace stormed the Bastille on July 14. What happened to Necker? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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let (someone) loose (on something)— To allow someone to do something as they please, without supervision or control. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of the Hunters' Moon (2017)October was traditionally the time when the voyageurs, or traders, came to Fort Ouiatenon (in what is now Lafayette, Indiana) to trade their goods, gossip with the local French settlers, and generally relax and enjoy themselves before setting out on their next journey. The Feast of the Hunter's Moon, which was first held in 1968, begins with the arrival of the voyageurs by canoe on the Wabash River. Events include Indian chants, French folk songs, demonstrations of traditional crafts, and the cooking of typical French and Indian foods over an open fire. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: yesterdayhestern, hesternal - Hestern or hesternal means "pertaining to yesterday." More... nudiustertian - Pertaining to the day before yesterday. More... pridian - "Of or relating to a previous day or yesterday; former." More... yesterday - The yester of yesterday and yesteryear was a word on its own, meaning "yesterday," but by Old English it had become a collocation with "day." More... | |
| In the News | |
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Inhaled Toy Triggers 'Traffic Jam' in Lungs 40 Years LaterA 47-year-old British man who was being tested for lung cancer received some good, but unexpected, news: Instead of signs of cancer in the man's lungs, doctors found a tiny Playmobil plastic traffic cone lodged in his airways, according to a new report ... More... | |