Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, June 29, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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ungainly
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Demonstrative AdjectivesLike all adjectives, demonstrative adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. There are four common demonstrative adjectives in English: "this," "that," "these," and "those." Where do they always appear in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The History of SaffronSpanning cultures, continents, and civilizations, the history of saffron in human cultivation and use reaches back more than 3,000 years. Saffron, a spice derived from the stigmas of saffron crocus plants, has been used as a seasoning, fragrance, dye, and medicine and has remained among the world's costliest substances throughout history. After saffron spread to America in the 18th c, demand grew so much that its price on the Philadelphia commodities exchange matched that of what precious metal? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Sampoong Department Store Collapse (1995)During the construction of what was to be an office building in Seoul, South Korea, owner Lee Joon decided to change course and make it a department store. Contractors who would not comply with his design modifications, which included removing some support columns in favor of escalators, were replaced. By April 1995, cracks were visible in the five-story structure. Two months later, in a span of only 20 seconds, the building collapsed with more than 1,500 people inside. How many of them died? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ludwig August Theodor Beck (1880)A German general, Beck saw the Nazis' rise to power as "the first ray of hope since 1918." However, he soon feared that Germany was not militarily prepared for an attack on Czechoslovakia. He voiced concern to Adolf Hitler directly, and, in 1938, he resigned in protest against the planned attack but was largely ignored. Beck then became a key member of the conspiracy to overthrow Hitler. What happened to Beck after his plan failed to kill Hitler with a bomb on July 20, 1944? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I know that everything beautiful attracts love, but I cannot see how, by reason of being loved, that which is loved for its beauty is bound to love that which loves it.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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lock (someone) up and throw away the key— To incarcerate someone in prison forever or indefinitely. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Mnarja (2021)Mnarja is the principal folk festival of Malta and a public holiday there, thought to have been originally a harvest festival. It is held in Buskett Gardens, a park with extensive vineyards and orange and lemon orchards not far from Mdina, Malta's medieval capital. Festivities begin on the eve of Mnarja with an agricultural show that continues through the next morning and folk-singing and folk-music competitions. The traditional food of the evening is fried rabbit. On the following day, bareback horse and donkey races bring the feast to an end. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: silkfloss - A word for untwisted filaments of silk used in making embroidery or satin. More... lame - A material consisting of silk or other yarns interwoven with metallic threads. More... scroop - The rustle of silk. More... tabby - The common tabby cat derives its name from silk with a wavy pattern, from Arabic utabi, the name of the quarter in Baghdad where the silk was made. More... | |