Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, March 8, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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vertigo
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Distinguishing between Intensive and Reflexive PronounsAlthough intensive and reflexive pronouns are identical in appearance, there is a clear distinction between them. Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject of a sentence also receives the action of the sentence. When are intensive pronouns used? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 ZouavesThe original Zouaves of the early 1800s were members of elite French military units in North Africa. Usually Algerian recruits, they were recognized for their distinctive, colorful uniforms and precision drilling. They were well known in their day, and at the dawn of the American Civil War, a Zouave craze swept the US. Dozens of "Zouave" units sprang up on both sides of the conflict. Their uniforms, modeled after traditional Zouave attire, were not well suited to the conflict. Why? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 New York Stock Exchange Is Founded (1817)The first agreement to form a stock exchange in New York was made in 1792 by 24 brokers standing under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. The New York Stock Exchange was formally founded 25 years later. The exchange provided capital for the industrialization of the US in the 19th century and is today the world's largest securities market. The right to trade in the exchange can only be obtained by purchasing a seat from an existing member, and the number of seats is limited to how many? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Anselm Kiefer (1945)One of the most prominent figures in late 20th-century neoexpressionism, Anselm Kiefer is a German painter and sculptor. In 1966, he abandoned law studies to pursue art. He studied with Joseph Beuys in the 1970s and began producing artwork that dealt starkly with taboos and dark periods in German history. His later works address mythological, classical, and biblical subjects. Kiefer's large-scale paintings are characterized by a somber color palette and the use of what unusual materials? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There can be no two opinions as to what a highbrow is. He is the man or woman of thoroughbred intelligence who rides his mind at a gallop across country in pursuit of an idea.Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hash slinger— A cook or a waitress, especially at a diner or cheap restaurant. ("Hash," in this sense, refers to a dish or stew of chopped meat and vegetables, not hashish.) Primarily heard in US. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Whale Festival (Mendocino) (2020)Gray whales spend their summers in the Bering Sea but migrate every year to the waters off the coast of Mexico, where females give birth to their young. Since the whales prefer to hug the coast as they make their long journey, they are often visible to those living in seaside towns. The neighboring northern California towns of Mendocino and Fort Bragg hold their whale festivals on consecutive weekends in March. Their celebrations include whale-watching cruises, wine tasting, seafood chowder tasting, nature walks, and visits to the Cabrillo Point lighthouse. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: remoteremote - From Latin remotus, the past participle of removere, "remove." More... remote sensing - The scanning of the earth by satellite or aircraft to obtain information about it. More... devious - Its literal meaning is "out of the way," from Latin de via—applied to a place that was remote because it was off the main road. More... remote control - The term existed by 1904, and the shortened version, remote, was used in print by 1966. More... | |