Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 5, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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diffidence
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Regular and Irregular AdverbsRegular adverbs are formed by adding "-ly" (or a variation) onto the end of an adjective. Irregular adverbs are not formed from standard spelling conventions. What are the most common irregular adverbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!L. Frank Baum was an American journalist, playwright, and author. In 1900, he published his most famous work, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a story about a girl named Dorothy who is carried by a tornado to the magical land of Oz. Baum's fame rests largely on his 14 stories of Oz, all of which emphasize the virtues of practicality, self-reliance, tolerance, and egalitarianism. In 1938, the story was made into an extraordinarily popular motion picture. Who played the role of Dorothy? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Soviet Embassy Cipher Clerk Igor Gouzenko Defects to Canada (1945)Considered by some to be the first major international event of the Cold War, the defection of Soviet cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko radically transformed the way the West regarded and approached Soviet espionage. The authorities at first dismissed Gouzenko's reports of Stalin's efforts to steal nuclear secrets and of Soviet spy rings operating in Canada and the US, but he soon convinced them of the truth behind his allegations. The information he revealed helped lead to the apprehension of whom? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jesse James (1847)James was an outlaw who became a legendary figure in American folklore. After the Civil War, he and a number of other former Confederate guerillas banded together to rob banks, trains, and stagecoaches across several states. He was later betrayed by fellow bandit Robert Ford, who shot him to death in 1882 in order to receive a $10,000 reward. Despite James's reputation as a murderous thief, his exploits led to a number of romanticized legends, including rumors that he survived until when? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 After all, one knows one's weak points so well, that it's rather bewildering to have the critics overlook them and invent others.Edith Wharton (1862-1937) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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make (someone's) ears burn— To make someone uncomfortable, embarrassed, or disconcerted by what is being said. Alludes to the ears growing red from blushing. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ginseng Festival (2021)This festival is a celebration of ginseng in Fusong, a county in the Changbai Mountains of China and the largest ginseng grower in the country. The people of Fusong have traditionally celebrated the ginseng harvest, and, in 1987, the government officially set aside three days for both a festival and a trade fair of ginseng products. The festival features performances of yangko, dragon, and lion dances; story-telling parties with a ginseng theme; art and photo exhibits; and a fireworks display. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: revolutiongyre - A circular movement or revolution; to cause to spin around or whirl. More... rebellion, revolution - Rebellion is open resistance to a government or authority; revolution is a rebellion that succeeds in overthrowing the government and establishing a new one. More... rev - An abbreviation of revolution. More... young Turk - Term for a tyrannical or unmanageable man, based on the members of a party of Turkish agitators that brought about the revolution of 1908. More... | |