Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, March 15, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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surfactant
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Stative VerbsStative verbs are used to describe static conditions. They are usually unable to progress through time, and they therefore cannot be used when forming the continuous or progressive forms of verb tenses. What verb tenses can stative verbs be used in? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 CapoeiraAn Afro-Brazilian dance form that incorporates self-defense maneuvers, capoeira originated among African slaves in 19th-century Brazil and is now a popular art form practiced worldwide. Capoeira is performed in a special roda, or circle, where practitioners take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring. While capoeira focuses on skill rather than injuring opponents, the intensity of an individual game depends on the rhythm of the music. Why was capoeira outlawed in Brazil in 1890? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Russian Settlers Establish Fort Ross, California (1812)Located in what is now Sonoma County, California, Fort Ross was in operation from 1812 to 1841 as a trading outpost for the Russian-American Company. The southernmost settlement in the Russian colonization of North America, it was established as an agricultural base to supply Alaska. Fort Ross was the site of California's first windmills and shipbuilding yards, and Russian scientists there were among the first to record California's cultural and natural history. How did the Fort get its name? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (1852)Although she was born a member of the upper class, which traditionally identified with British rule in Ireland, Gregory embraced Irish cultural nationalism and became an extremely important figure of the Irish literary revival. She collected and published several volumes of Irish folk tales, wrote and translated dozens of plays, and directed multiple theater companies. The name of Irish author Denis Johnston's play The Old Lady Says No! refers to what incident involving Gregory? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a legend in (one's) own mind— A person who affects or believes him- or herself to be of greater importance or notoriety than is actually the case. A humorous, ironic twist on the phrase "a legend in one's own lifetime." More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Joseph Jenkins Roberts's Birthday (2021)Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1809-1876), Liberia's first and seventh president, led the movement for an independent Liberia, established in 1848. This day (also known as J. J. Roberts Day) is also an occasion to pay homage to Liberia's historical role as Africa's oldest republic. In many respects, Roberts's birthday stands apart from other holidays that recognize Liberian notables because he was a member of the established Americo-Liberian elite, a group historically criticized for wielding control over the country's indigenous population for more than a century. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: merchandisebale - A package of merchandise. More... avoirdupois weight, Imperial weight - Avoirdupois or Imperial weight is commonly used to measure food, people, and merchandise. More... emporeutic - Means pertaining to merchandise or to trade. More... merchant, merchandise - Merchant and merchandise come from Latin mercari, "to trade." More... | |