Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, December 18, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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periphrasis
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Present Simple TenseThe present simple tense is used when we speak about habits, general facts, and timetables. Does something have to be occurring in the present moment in time for it to be in the present simple tense? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Knitting RevivalThe invention of the knitting machine revolutionized the production of knitwear, relegating the art of hand knitting to the realm of non-essential craft. However, it has since become a social activity, and many of today's knitters hold knitting parties and blog about their craft. Knitting is currently experiencing a revival; and between 2002 and 2004, the number of 25- to 35-year-old female knitters in the US reportedly increased 150%. What is one of the earliest known examples of knitting? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 World's First Communications Satellite Launched (1958)Today, communications satellites are widely used to provide internet access, TV and radio broadcasting, and mobile telephone service, even to areas where traditional cable service is unfeasible. The first such satellite, launched by the US Air Force, was Project SCORE (Signal Communication by Orbiting Relay Equipment). It was equipped with two tape recorders—each with a four-minute capacity—and batteries that would last for 12 days. What was the first message broadcast from the satellite? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Joseph Grimaldi (1778)Grimaldi was an English actor who is considered the inventor of the modern clown character. He made his debut as a young child at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, and for years he performed there and at Drury Lane. By the time he starred in Harlequin Mother Goose at Covent Garden in 1806, he was a legend. He is credited with introducing the white makeup now commonly worn by clowns. Exhausted by the physical exertion of clowning, he died in 1837. What famous author edited his memoirs? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 An American monkey,…after getting drunk on brandy, would never touch it again, and thus was wiser than many men.Charles Darwin (1809-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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insofar as— To such an extent that; to the degree that. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Modesto's Day (2020)St. Modesto is the patron saint of farmers in Greece. His feast day is celebrated with various rituals in honor of farm animals. In Lemnos, kollyva (cooked wheat berries) and holy water are mixed with their fodder, while in Lesbos, the holy water is sprinkled on the fields to ward off locusts and disease. For horses and oxen, December 18 is a day of rest. The Eastern Orthodox Church reserves this day to commemorate St. Modestus, who was patriarch of Jerusalem from 631 to 634. He is known for a sermon he preached on the bodily Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: representationmacrograph - A life-size drawing or representation. More... simulacrum - In the original sense of the word, it was simply a representation of something, such as an oil painting or marble statue. More... representational art - Art that seeks to depict the physical appearance of reality; also called objective art and figurative art. More... logogram, logograph, grammalogue - A logogram or logograph is the same as a grammalogue, a word represented by a single sign, like $. More... | |