Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 7, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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prehensile
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Subjunctive MoodThe subjunctive mood refers to verbs that are used to describe hypothetical or non-real actions, events, or situations. What is the subjective mood most commonly used to express? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916In the summer of 1916, thousands flocked to the New Jersey shore to seek relief from the polio epidemic and severe heat wave plaguing the northeastern US. As WWI raged in Europe, the vacationers watched for German U-boats that were reportedly maneuvering off the coast, but they were unaware of a different danger lurking beneath the water's surface—sharks. Between July 1 and July 12, sharks attacked 5 people along the Jersey coast, killing 4. What are some theories about why the attacks occurred? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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.jpg) First Crossing of the English Channel by Air (1785)In the dangerous, early days of balloon flight, French inventor Jean-Pierre Blanchard became the first person to travel across the English Channel by air. Not long after, another pair of balloonists attempted to repeat this feat, but the two were killed when their balloon exploded. Blanchard himself eventually died in a ballooning accident, and his widow suffered a similar fate about a decade later. With what useless objects did Blanchard attempt to steer his balloon during early flights? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Millard Fillmore (1800)Born in a log cabin in rural New York, Fillmore was compelled to work at an early age to help support his large, impoverished family. Despite his limited education, he became a lawyer and was elected vice president under Zachary Taylor. Upon Taylor's death in 1850, Fillmore was sworn in as president. His attempt to take a moderate stance on the highly contentious issue of slavery ended his political career. While being fed soup, a dying Fillmore made what remark that turned out to be his last? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 See them clamber, these nimble apes! ... Towards the throne they all strive: it is their madness—as if happiness sat on the throne! Ofttimes sitteth filth on the throne—and ofttimes also the throne on filth.Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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jet-setter— A wealthy individual who travels globally, especially by private jet, to frequent fashionable resorts, social events, and the like. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ganna (2021)The Christmas celebration in Ethiopia (observing the Coptic Orthodox calendar), which is officially called Leddat, is more popularly known as Ganna, after the game that is traditionally played on this day by boys, young men, and occasionally elders. According to legend, the shepherds were so happy when they heard about the birth of Jesus that they used their hooked staffs to play ganna—a game similar to field hockey. Pilgrims gather in the spectacular medieval churches in Lalibela for services, music, and food. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: retreatretreatant - A person taking part in a retreat. More... anabasis, catabasis - An anabasis is a military expedition and a catabasis is the retreat of an army. More... ivory tower - Suggests elegant detachment in a cool, white aerie, where a poet or philosopher might retreat to think and write. More... resile, arsle - To resile or arsle is to recoil, retreat, or draw back. More... | |