Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, December 30, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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sacrilege
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Past Perfect TenseThe past perfect tense expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past. How do we form the past perfect tense? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 PorcupinesAmong the largest rodents in the world, porcupines are found in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas and are known for their coats of sharp quills that defend them from predators. Though porcupines' quills take various forms depending on the species, all are modified hairs coated with thick plates of a tough structural protein called keratin that makes them needle-sharp. Contrary to popular belief, porcupines are not capable of shooting their quills. How, then, do they defend themselves? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Saddam Hussein Is Executed (2006)During his presidency of Iraq from 1979 to 2003, Hussein instituted a brutal dictatorship, launching wars against Iran and Kuwait and directing campaigns against Iraqi minorities, particularly the Kurds. After an Anglo-American force invaded Iraq in 2003 and drove him from power, he spent several months in hiding but was captured by US forces. In 2006, the Iraqi High Tribunal sentenced him to death for crimes against humanity. What hobby did Hussein take up while in prison awaiting execution? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Bo Diddley (1928)Diddley was a pioneering African-American rock-and-roll singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was known for his pounding signature beat, guitar effects, and jive talk, and he was a powerful influence on generations of rockers, including Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones. Nicknamed after the single-stringed folk instrument called a diddley bow, he studied the violin at his Baptist Church in Chicago and began performing in South Side clubs, playing what unique type of guitar? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Best to live lightly, unthinkingly.Sophocles (496 BC-406 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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the going thing— The latest and most popular trend, fad, or fashion. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Rizal Day (2019)A national holiday in the Philippines, Rizal Day commemorates the execution of the national hero Dr. José Rizal on this day in 1896. Flags fly at half-staff throughout the country, and special rites are led by the president at the 500-foot Rizal Monument in Manila. Writing from Europe and denouncing the corrupt ruling of the Philippines by Spanish friars, Rizal became known as a leader of the Philippine reform movement. He had no direct role in the nationalist insurrection; nevertheless, he was arrested, tried for sedition, and executed by a firing squad. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: torchfuneral - Once was a torchlight procession, from Latin funis, "torch"—because funerals of the Romans took place at night by torchlight. More... kindle - The verb is related to Old Norse kyndill, "candle, torch." More... Drummond light - A torch that burns calcium oxide (lime) and gives off intense white light, it was named for Scottish engineer Capt. Thomas Drummond, R.E. (1797-1840), who invented it around 1825. More... torch - From Latin torquere, it first referred to tarred twists of frayed rope. More... | |