Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, April 20, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unblemished
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Second-Person PronounsWe use the second-person pronouns to indicate those who are being addressed directly by the speaker. Unlike first-person pronouns, there is not a distinction between singular and plural second-person pronouns, except in what form? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 As Slow As PossibleAs Slow as Possible is a musical piece by American avant-garde composer John Cage, who deliberately neglected to specify how slowly it should be played. Piano performances of the score usually last from 20 to 70 minutes. However, a performance that began in 2001 at a church in Germany is still going on and is expected to continue until 2640. The church's organ continuously emits the low hum of a chord that began several years ago. When will the next note-change occur? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Sun Dog Phenomenon Observed over Stockholm (1535)Today, the science behind parhelia—also known as "sun dogs"—is well understood, but when the huge, glowing halos and miniature suns appeared in the sky above Stockholm in 1535, it was a major event. A painting of the occurrence is the earliest color depiction of Stockholm, then a crowded cluster of stone buildings on an island. It is also the earliest depiction of sun dogs and is largely scientifically accurate. What were some of the conflicting interpretations of the omen at the time? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ernesto Antonio "Tito" Puente, Jr. (1923)One of the premier composers and players of Latin music, Puente was an American bandleader, pianist, and virtuoso percussionist. He formed his own band in 1947 and rose to prominence with the salsa, mambo, merengue, and cha-cha-cha fads of the 1950s. Always experimenting, he became a pioneer of Latin-jazz fusion and recorded more than 100 albums, winning multiple Grammy awards. His compositions include "Pare Cochero" and "Oye Como Va." On what TV shows did Puente appear as a guest star? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I am almost frighted out of my seven senses.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have the better of (someone or something)— To have or gain superiority, mastery, or an advantage over someone or something; to have control over someone or something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Boston Marathon (2020)The oldest footrace in the United States was first held on Patriots' Day, April 19, 1897. Organized by members of the Boston Athletic Association, the race involved only 15 runners. Nowadays the Boston Marathon draws upwards of 30,000 official starters. The 26.2-mile course begins exactly at noon in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, includes the infamous "Heartbreak Hill" (a section of Commonwealth Avenue in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, that marks the race's 21st mile), and ends near Copley Square in the Back Bay Area. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: plasterdrywall, plasterboard - Drywall is a building material made of a sheet of plaster covered with heavy paper on both sides; it is also called plasterboard. More... gypsum - From Semitic, a relative or ancestor of Arabic jibs and Hebrew gephes, "plaster." More... plaster of Paris - So called because it is prepared from the gypsum of Paris, France. More... trullization - Laying on plaster with a trowel. More... | |