Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, July 4, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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lifelike
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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ClausesClauses are groups of words that contain both a subject and a predicate. There are two main types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses. What is another name for a dependent clause? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Maxim GunDeveloped in 1884 by US-British inventor Hiram Maxim, the Maxim gun was the first self-powered machine gun. Capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute, the water-cooled weapon profoundly altered modern warfare. It inflicted heavy casualties during the Russo-Japanese War, and guns modeled after its design dominated the WWI battlefield. The gun was lighter and easier to transport than earlier hand-cranked ones, but military authorities were initially reluctant to use it because of what issue? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Suspicious Airshow Accident Kills Aviator B. H. DeLay (1923)Just two decades after the Wright brothers produced the first manned, power-driven plane, aviator B. H. DeLay started performing stunt-filled airshows. His repertoire included tail spins, barrel rolls, and loop-the-loops, and he went on to execute air stunts in more than 50 films. At age 31, DeLay died in an airshow plane crash. In the midst of a loop, the wings of his plane folded back, and it plummeted to the ground. After the crash, there were rumors of sabotage. Who was the leading suspect? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ann Landers (1918)In 1955, Esther "Eppie" Friedman began doling out advice to the public in the name of famed columnist Ann Landers. Ruth Crowley had originated the role, and when she died, Friedman took over the column, gaining a following of some 90 million readers with her witty-but-tough style. Though Friedman sometimes drew criticism for taking on controversial topics, such as abortion and prostitution, she received wide support after discussing her divorce. What was her connection to her rival "Dear Abby"? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 People who have tried it, tell me that a clear conscience makes you very happy and contented; but a full stomach does the business quite as well, and is cheaper, and more easily obtained.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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long arm— Broad, far-reaching power or influence. (Usually paired with a noun, as in "the long arm of the law.") More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Apache Maidens' Puberty Rites (2021)The Apache Maidens' Puberty Rites are a coming-of-age celebration of girls of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, held for four days and nights around the Fourth of July in Mescalero, New Mexico. On the first and last days, the girls run around a basket four times, symbolizing the four stages of life (infancy, childhood, adulthood, and old age). On the last day, their faces are painted with white clay and they enact the role of White Painted Woman, preparing for a rewarding adult life. Other events include a rodeo, a powwow, a parade on July 4, and the nighttime Dance of the Mountain Gods. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: incapableimpassible, impassable - Impassible is incapable of feeling or suffering; impassable is not capable of being passed. More... impregnable - Means "incapable of being taken by force" (from French prendre, "seize"). More... indefatigable - Means "incapable of being wearied." More... inimitable - Means "unique; incapable of being imitated." More... | |