Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, February 5, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Perfective and Imperfective AspectThe perfective aspect highlights actions, states, or events as a whole. The imperfective aspect is used when we focus on the internal structures of an action. What is the continuous aspect? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Rose WindowsThese circular windows, often found in medieval churches and Gothic architecture, are generally ornamented with stained glass and stone tracery laid out in round, radiating, shaft patterns. Since the pattern often resembles a rose with radiating petals, the term “rose window” is often misattributed to the flower; in fact, the 17th century name likely stems from the Old French word roué, meaning wheel. What role did the crusaders play in the spread of this decorative window style? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Royal Greenwich Observatory Begins Broadcasting Hourly Time Signals (1924)The Greenwich Time Signal, popularly known as "the pips," is a series of six short tones broadcast by many BBC radio stations at the end of each hour to mark the precise start of the following hour. Devised by Astronomer Royal Frank Dyson in 1924, the signal consists of six pips that occur on the five seconds leading up to the hour, with the beginning of the sixth pip marking the actual moment when the hour changes. After nearly 90 years of marking time, why might the pips soon be silenced? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Adlai Ewing Stevenson (1900)Stevenson was an American politician and lawyer. After serving as assistant to the Secretary of the Navy during WWII and as a member of the US mission to the UN, he was elected governor of Illinois in 1949. Later in his career, he served as ambassador to the UN. Noted for his eloquence and wit, he was the Democratic candidate for president in 1952 and 1956 but lost to Eisenhower both times by a large margin. His grandfather of the same name served as vice president during whose administration? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I count religion but a childish toy, and hold there is no sin but ignorance.Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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Were you born in a tent?— Have you no basic manners? (Usually said after someone has left open a door to the outside.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Birthday of Johan Runeberg (2018)Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804-1877) is widely regarded as Finland's greatest poet. Schools throughout Finland are closed on Runeberg's birthday. Busts and pictures of him are displayed in shop windows, particularly in Helsinki. A special ceremony is observed at Runeberg's monument in the Esplanade, where his statue is decorated with garlands of pine and spruce, suspended between four huge torches. At night the torches are lit, and lighted candles burn in the windows of houses and apartments. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: presencehoodoo - A person who practices voodoo; the word also describes a person or thing whose presence is supposed to bring bad luck. More... al fresco - Implies the presence of some nearby structure (one does not hike al fresco). More... pyrosis - Heartburn is actually pyrosis, caused by the presence of gastric secretions, called reflux, in the lower esophagus. More... evince - To indicate, to reveal the presence of a quality or feeling. More... | |