Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, August 18, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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browbeat
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Present TenseThe present tense is mostly used to identify the action of a verb as taking place in the present time. However, depending on which way we form the present tense, it can also be used to describe things that happened in the past, or even certain events that are planned to happen in the future. What are the four forms of the present tense called? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Human MailTraveling by mail is both dangerous and illegal, yet several people throughout history braved the risks anyway. One famous case was that of Henry "Box" Brown, who escaped slavery in 1849 by shipping himself to an area of the US where slavery had been outlawed. Just a few years ago, a man escaped a German prison by mail. Though it is fairly rare in actuality, scenarios involving human mail frequently appear in works of fiction. What children's book features a protagonist who travels by mail? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Genghis Khan Dies (1227)Though infamous for slaughtering entire cities and destroying fields and irrigation systems, Genghis Khan is admired for his military brilliance. The emperor-warrior consolidated nomadic tribes into a unified Mongolia and led them to conquer much of Asia from the Pacific coast to Eastern Europe. He died on a military campaign in China, and the empire was divided. The circumstances of his death are unclear. According to legend, how did his descendants ensure that his grave would remain hidden? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Antonio Salieri (1750)Italian composer and conductor Antonio Salieri moved to Vienna, Austria, in 1766 with his music teacher, imperial court composer Florian Gassmann. When Gassmann died, Salieri took his position and went on to become Vienna's most popular opera composer for the remainder of the 18th century. Beethoven, Schubert, and Liszt were among his most famous students. Though Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were rivals, the story that he poisoned Mozart is likely untrue. How did their rivalry begin? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Circus, n.: A place where horses, ponies and elephants are permitted to see men, women, and children acting the fool.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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rarer than hens' teeth— Incredibly scarce or rare; extremely difficult or impossible to find. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Gokarna Aunsi (2020)A Hindu festival unique to Nepal, Gokarna Aunsi honors fathers living and dead. It is celebrated during the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada (between August or early September). In Nepalese culture, fathers are highly regarded as the pillars of the family and the community. Children show their appreciation by giving presents and sweets. After the presentation of gifts, it is customary for sons to touch their fathers' feet with their foreheads, while daughters will touch their hands. This gesture is known as "looking upon father's face." Those whose fathers are deceased also pay tribute. 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... | |