Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, March 2, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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brachypterous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Relative ClausesLike relative pronouns, relative adverbs can introduce a restrictive relative clause, or a non-restrictive relative clause. Non-restrictive clauses simply give us additional information that is not essential to the sentence. What do restrictive relative clauses do? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Freeze-DryingFreeze-drying is a dehydration process typically used to preserve perishable material or make it more convenient to transport. The process involves freezing a substance, reducing the surrounding pressure, and adding enough heat to allow the frozen water in the material to sublimate, or change directly from the solid to gas state. Properly sealed freeze-dried substances can be stored at room temperature for years without spoiling. How is freeze-drying often used by pharmaceutical companies? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Völkner Incident (1865)After New Zealand was named a British crown colony in 1840, Christian missionaries began to disseminate their teachings among the native Maori people. In the early 1860s, a religious-military Maori cult emerged, mingling Christian beliefs with native spiritual elements and urging followers to violently oppose the European presence. In March 1865, members of this Pai Marire movement killed missionary Carl Sylvius Völkner in a gruesome manner, hanging him before supposedly doing what to his body? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Pope Pius XII (1876)Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli succeeded Pope Pius XI as Pius XII in 1939. Though he pursued projects aimed at helping prisoners and refugees of World War II, he maintained the Vatican's neutrality for the duration of the conflict, believing that preserving relations with all the belligerents would aid his efforts to bring about peace. These wartime policies have since aroused considerable controversy. Which famous Jewish figures have expressed gratitude for his actions? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Habit, n.: A shackle for the free.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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put food on the table— To earn enough money to provide the basic necessities for oneself and (often) one's family. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Myanmar Peasants' Day (2022)The Union of Myanmar, known as Burma until 1989, is in southeast Asia. Myanmar's predominant industry is agriculture, and, at one point, it was the biggest exporter of rice in Asia, but now its line of agricultural products is more diverse. The country could not support these agricultural activities without the peasant workers, and to show their appreciation for the peasants' contribution, the country has declared March 2 Peasants' Day. It is a national holiday. It was also on this day in 1962 that Burmese General Ne Win led the military coup. The country holds parades on this day to honor him. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: shydemur, demure - Demur is the verb "to object or voice opposition," while demure is the adjective meaning "modest, shy." More... farouche - Means "sullen or shy in company." More... milquetoast - Comes from a comic strip character created in 1924 who was shy, timid, and unassertive. More... shrinking violet - Violets actually shrink as if they become shy, giving us this term. More... | |