Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, October 10, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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orthogonal
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Finite and Non-finite VerbsFinite verbs have subjects and indicate grammatical tense, person, and number. Non-finite verbs do not have tenses or subjects that they correspond to. What are some examples of non-finite verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Boredom: What is it?Boredom is a condition that has been described by psychologists as arising not from a lack of things to do but from an inability to latch on mentally to a specific activity. Often viewed as a trivial nuisance to be escaped by sleeping, daydreaming, or participating in a new activity, it has been linked to a range of psychological, educational, and social problems. The first recorded use of the word "boredom" is in Dickens's Bleak House, written in 1852. What are the 3 types of boredom? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Battle of Tours (732 CE)In 661 CE, the first Islamic dynasty rose to prominence and sought to extend its power. The Muslims, seeking control of Aquitaine, were met by Charles Martel's Frankish forces, who were able to halt them at the Battle of Tours. It was not a decisive victory, but the Arabs retreated after their leader was killed, and some historians deem it a watershed moment in preserving Christianity in Europe. The battle greatly enhanced Martel's prestige at the time. What nickname was bestowed on him? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 R. K. Narayan (1906)A leading figure of early Indian literature in English, Narayan first came to international attention in 1935, with the publication of his first novel Swami and Friends. This book and many of his later novels and short stories are set in the fictional town of Malgudi and give readers a witty, vital, and perceptive glimpse of village life in South India, where modern life and tradition often clash. Narayan also penned several nonfiction works and modern prose versions of what Indian epics? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A total abstainer is one who abstains from everything but abstention, and especially from inactivity in the affairs of others.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a mother hen— A person who looks out for the welfare of others, especially to a fussy, intrusive, or overprotective degree. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Double Tenth Day (2021)Double Tenth Day is a national holiday in Taiwan to commemorate the Chinese Revolution of October 10, 1911. The revolt marked the end of the Ching, or Qing, Dynasty that had been established in 1644 by the Manchus, and it led to the founding of the Republic of China on January 1, 1912. For several weeks before Double Tenth Day, the plaza in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei is illuminated. Celebrations include massive parades and rallies, displays of martial arts, folk dancing, and other cultural activities. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pigmentspastel - First pertained to pigment or paste and evolved to mean light or pale colors. More... excipient - An inactive substance that serves as the vehicle or medium for a drug; it is also the material or surface that receives the pigments in painting. More... primary colors, secondary colors - In dyes, pigments, and paints, the primary colors are red, yellow, and blue—which mix to make the secondary colors: orange, green, and purple. More... raw sienna, burnt sienna - Raw sienna is a brownish-yellow earth color obtained from a natural clay containing iron and manganese; burnt sienna is reddish-brown. More... | |