Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, April 21, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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turgid
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Present Continuous Tense (Progressive)We create the present continuous tense by using the present participle (-ing form) of the verb after the present-tense form of the auxiliary verb "be." What is the most common occurrence of the present continuous tense? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 DarkroomsA darkroom is a workspace for the processing of light-sensitive materials. Darkrooms have been used for black and white photography since the late 19th century, but their popularity has waned with the introduction of color, Polaroid, and digital photography. The most familiar black and white processes involve developing the image, stopping the development, fixing the image, then washing and drying it. Why is it safe to use red or amber lighting in a darkroom? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 World's Fair Starts in Seattle, Washington (1962)Hosted at the dawn of the Space Age, the 1962 World's Fair featured a glittering array of futuristic technology. Nearly 10 million people came to see the new cars and gadgets or ride to the top of the new Space Needle. While its technology was advanced, the fair anticipated none of the social changes soon to come—the society of the future looked like that of 1950s, but with gyrocopters. Why did US President John F. Kennedy lie, claiming to be too sick to attend the closing ceremony? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Muir (1838)Once an aspiring industrial engineer, US conservationist John Muir devoted himself to nature after losing an eye in an 1867 factory accident. That year, he walked from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico, a journey of about 1,000 mi (1,600 km). He then moved to California and spent much of the next 12 years traveling and writing about nature. He promoted the idea of national forest preserves and helped establish Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. What four items did he take on his backcountry hikes? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Great vices are the proper objects of our detestation, smaller faults of our pity, but affectation appears to me the only true source of the ridiculous.Henry Fielding (1707-1754) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have had the biscuit— To be no longer functional or useful; to be dead or about to perish. Primarily heard in Canada. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Inconfidência Week (2020)The Inconfidência was a colonial uprising for Brazilian independence from Portugal at the end of the 18th century. It is celebrated during the week of April 21 by paying tribute to Joaquim José da Silva Xavier—known as Tiradentes ("tooth-puller") for his dentistry practice—who became a martyr when the uprising was put down and he was executed. The Inconfidência Week festivities include performances by orchestras, bands, and choirs, and athletic competitions. The city of Ouro Preto is honorarily restored as state capital of Minas Gerais during the festival. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: limitsdeterminer - A word that limits or indicates the scope of a noun. More... modifier, qualifier - A word or phrase that limits or qualifies the sense of another is a modifier or qualifier. More... temper - Originally a proportionate mixture, is from Latin temperare, "to mix correctly; regulate" or "to keep within limits." More... | |