Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, April 5, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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encumbrance
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Conjunctive Adverbs of PurposeWe often use conjunctive adverbs to indicate a relationship of reason or purpose between two independent clauses. When we join two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb, they are traditionally separated with what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Arab RevoltBy the time it aligned with the Central Powers during WWI, the Ottoman Empire had ruled much of the Middle East—and beyond—for centuries. In the war's aftermath, the British sought to weaken the powerful empire, and did so by aiding the long-simmering Arab sovereignty movement. Led by Sherif Hussein of Mecca and advised by British officer T. E. Lawrence, the revolt succeeded against the empire, though the goal of establishing a unified Arab kingdom was not realized. What did the British gain? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Battle of Yorktown Begins (1862)The Battle of Yorktown took place during the Peninsular Campaign of the American Civil War, a major Union offensive aimed at capturing the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. The battle began when Union forces, under the command of Major General George McClellan, encountered enemy troops near Yorktown. Though the Union forces initially vastly outnumbered the Confederate troops, they failed to exploit this advantage and instead laid siege to the city. Why? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Spencer Tracy (1900)Tracy began his acting career in the theater, but he is now recognized as a Hollywood icon and one of the most versatile performers in motion picture history. He earned his first film role in 1930, and within five years, he had appeared in more than 25 films. A two-time Academy Award winner, Tracy earned nine Oscar nominations throughout his illustrious career. He and Katharine Hepburn were a frequent on-screen team. How many films did the pair make together? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Edible, adj.: Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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snow on the mountain— Silver, grey, or white hair on one's head, as due to aging. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Thay Pagoda Festival (2021)This Vietnamese festival is held in honor of Buddhist monk Dao Hanh, who lived during the Lý Dynasty (1009-1225 CE). Dao Hanh was said to have invented what is known as mua roi can, "water puppetry," an activity that plays an important part in the festival. In addition to water puppet performances, the festival features firecracker competitions, folk singing, rowing contests, and mountain-climbing events. It is held in the village of Thay (or Thuy Khe village) in the Quoc Oai District of Ha Tay Province. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: refrainballade - A verse or poem made up of three stanzas of equal length with a recurrent line or refrain at the end of each of the stanzas. More... condone - From Latin condonare, "refrain from punishing," it does not mean "approve of, endorse"; it means "let something pass without interference even though you probably disapprove," or "pardon, forgive, overlook." More... burden, refrain, chorus - The burden is the main theme or gist of a speech, book, or argument—or the refrain or chorus of a song. More... deport - The earliest sense of deport was "bear with; refrain." More... | |