Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, May 24, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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impermanent
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Concrete and Abstract NounsConcrete nouns name people, places, or things with physical properties. Abstract nouns name intangible things, such as concepts, feelings, characteristics, etc. Gerunds are verbs that end in "-ing" and function as nouns. Are they concrete or abstract? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 SquattingSquatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building that one does not own, rent, or have permission to use. Many of the slums and shanty towns found in the world's poorest countries began as squats established on illegally occupied land. Commonly seen in urban areas the world over, squats function as residences as well as social centers. According to one source, there may be as many as one billion squatters globally. What is the international squatters' symbol? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 USSR Begins Drilling World's Deepest Hole (1970)The Kola Superdeep Borehole project was an attempt to dig as far as possible into the Earth's crust. It began when, in 1970, following setbacks in the Space Race, Soviet scientists looked downward. Digging on the remote Kola Peninsula for some 20 years, they reached a depth of 40,230 feet (12,262 m)—about a third of the way through the Earth's crust—before being forced to stop due to higher-than-expected temperatures of 350° F (180° C). Surprisingly, water was found at what depth? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Joseph Brodsky (1940)Soon after Brodsky began writing poetry in the USSR in the 1950s, he was accused by the government of "social parasitism" and sentenced to hard labor. Exiled in 1972, he settled in New York and began writing in English. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1987 and was poet laureate of the US for a time. His poetry, with its themes of loss and exile, is highly regarded for its intensity, depth, and wit. What was his retort when a Soviet judge once asked him, "Who enrolled you in the ranks of poets?" More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I can see the humorous side of things and enjoy the fun when it comes; but look where I will, there seems to me always more sadness than joy in life.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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gunner's daughter— obsolete A cannon or other such armament used on a naval vessel, to which seamen were bound so as to receive lashings during corporal punishment. (Usually used with the verbs marry, kiss, or hug + the.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 DanceAfrica (2020)DanceAfrica is a festival of dance that takes place annually in New York City during the Memorial Day weekend in late May. Founded by choreographer Chuck Davis, the festival began in 1977 as a means of counteracting the negative stereotypes of African dance presented in the media. It features international dancers and musicians and showcases such forms as African folk dance, Afro-Caribbean fusion, and African-American dance theatre. The weekend also includes African music and film presentations and an outdoor marketplace featuring African-themed arts, food, clothing, and crafts. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: terrierwhippet - A cross between a greyhound and a terrier. More... terrier - A dog that "takes the earth" or unearths its prey, from Latin terra, "earth." More... Dobermann, pinscher - Dobermanns are named for German dog breeder Ludwig Dobermann; pinscher means "terrier" in German. More... Jack Russell - A type of terrier—not recognized as a distinct breed— named for the Rev. John Russell (1795-1883) of Devonshire. More... | |