Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, September 6, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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catkin
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Prepositions with VerbsCertain verbs require prepositions in order to connect to their sentences’ objects. These combinations are also known as prepositional verbs. How do prepositional verbs differ from phrasal verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Etiquette in the Middle EastTravelers who fail to familiarize themselves with a region's customs before visiting that area risk inadvertently offending or insulting their hosts. For example, in Iraq and Iran, the "thumbs up" gesture—a Western expression of approval—is considered an offensive insult. In the Middle East, where Islam is the predominant religion, modesty and hospitality are strongly valued traits, but their practice varies across ethnic groups. How do Middle Easterners show their respect for the elderly? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Leningrad's Name Reverts to Saint Petersburg (1991)Russia's second largest city, Saint Petersburg is a major seaport, rail junction, and industrial, cultural, and scientific center. The city was built in 1703 by Peter the Great, who sought an outlet to the sea and a port for trade through the Baltic. It was the capital of the Russian Empire from 1712 to 1917. The city's name was changed to Petrograd in 1914 and Leningrad in 1924. The city's original name, Saint Petersburg, was restored in 1991. Who made the decision to restore the original name? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Walter Robert Dornberger (1895)A German artillery officer during World War I, Dornberger was captured and spent two years in a French prisoner-of-war camp. After his release, he studied engineering, and, beginning in 1932, directed construction of the V-2 rocket, the forerunner of all post-war spacecraft. Along with other German scientists, Dornberger was brought to the US as part of Operation Paperclip and worked as an advisor on guided missiles for the US Air Force. He became a key consultant on what major American venture? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 In this world you've just got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends.Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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make (one's) own way— To advance or progress, especially through life, according to one's own efforts, inclinations, or designs. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Aloha Festivals (2021)Aloha Festivals is a celebration of Hawaiian culture. Once a week-long event called Aloha Week, it's now a two-month affair with 300 events that starts in Honolulu in early September and runs through the end of October, with a week of festivities on every island of Hawaii. The celebrations include canoe races between the islands of Molokai and Oahu, coronations of royal courts as commemorations of the former Hawaiian monarchy, street parties, cultural events, parades, and pageantry. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: summitcolophon - A crowning or finishing touch, from Greek kolophon, "summit" or "finishing stroke." More... knoll - The summit or rounded top of a mountain or hill, it seems to derive from Old Teutonic knoo-lo, meaning "ball, clod, knot." More... acrobat - Derived from Greek akrobatos, "walking on tiptoe," from Greek akron, "summit," and baino, "walk." More... | |