Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, January 10, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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splenic
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Making Imperative SentencesWe usually use the imperative mood to form imperative sentences when we want to issue direct orders, commands, or general instructions. When we make an imperative sentence, we use the infinitive form of the verb (without "to"). What do we do to the subject of the verb? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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.jpg) The Legacy of Henrietta LacksIn 1951, cervical cancer patient Henrietta Lacks became—likely unknowingly—the donor of cancerous tumor cells that were cultured to create an "immortal" cell line for medical research. Named for their donor, HeLa cells can divide an unlimited number of times in a laboratory cell culture plate as long as fundamental conditions are met. The cell line has since been used in thousands of experiments, contributing to a number of scientific breakthroughs, including what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 London Underground Begins Operation (1863)The world's first subway line opened in London in 1863. It was 3.75 mi (6 km) long and soon carried tens of thousands of passengers each day—transporting 9.5 million in its first year. Initially steam-powered, the system first electrified some of its lines in 1890. By 1896, it was fully electrified. Today, the London Underground system is one of the largest in the world, with 256 mi (410 km) of track and 270 stations. What is the record for visiting them all in the shortest amount of time? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 George Edward Foreman (1949)A high school dropout, Foreman learned to box in the Job Corps. He won the Olympic heavyweight gold medal in 1968 and beat Joe Frazier for the world heavyweight crown in 1973. He won all 40 of his professional bouts—many by knockout—before losing to Muhammad Ali in the "Rumble in the Jungle." He retired to be a minister in 1977 but launched a comeback in 1987 and became the world's oldest heavyweight champ in 1994. After naming his first four sons "George," what did Foreman name his fifth son? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Charm, in most men and nearly all women, is a decoration.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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loose talk— Uninhibited, indiscreet talk or conversation, especially as might unintentionally lead to revealing private or sensitive information to others. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Benin National Vodoun Day (2025)Vodoun is an ancient, African, pantheistic religion. When it was brought to the Americas by African slaves, it was blended with elements of Christianity into what is known as "Voodoo." The present African country of Benin, situated on the former kingdom of Dahomey, is known as a center of Vodoun culture. The day is celebrated throughout Benin with processions, Vodoun rituals, dances, and even an international film festival. The celebration's central activity, however, is the re-enactment of the journey from the slave auction block in the center of town to the ships in the harbor. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tokenjetton - A counter or token used as a gambling chip or to operate slot machines. More... token - Etymologically, something that "shows" you something, from a base meaning "show, sign." More... indicium - An indication, sign, or token—specifically, the stamp on mail indicating paid postage. More... signal, sign - Signal is from Latin signalis, "of a sign," from signum, "mark, token"—from which sign is derived. More... | |