Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 5, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Past Simple in Negative SentencesNegative sentences in the past simple tense tell the reader what did not happen. To form negative sentences in the past simple tense, what must we use before the main verb of the sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Chryselephantine SculptureDeveloped by the Greeks in the 6th century BCE, chryselephantine is a form of sculpture in which an inner core of wood is overlaid with ivory to simulate flesh. It is then trimmed with gold to simulate clothing and other adornments. The technique was used to make colossal religious statues for temples, but because the materials were so valuable, few examples remain intact today. There is a reproduction of one famous chryselephantine statue, the gigantic Athena Parthenos, in what US city? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Construction Begins on California's Golden Gate Bridge (1933)For 27 years after its completion in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge had the longest main span in the world, stretching 4,200 ft (1,280 m). Its four-year construction, supervised by chief engineer Joseph B. Strauss, faced many difficulties, including rapidly running tides, frequent storms and fogs, and the problem of blasting rock under deep water to plant earthquake-resistant foundations. Considered a modern wonder, the bridge spans the Golden Gate, a strait that links what two bodies of water? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Shah Jahan (1592)Shah Jahan succeeded to the throne of India's Mughal Empire in 1628 and ruled for 30 years. His reign was notable for its successes against the Deccan states. Though attempts to reconquer lost territory almost bankrupted the empire, his reign marked the zenith of Mughal court splendor and ushered in the golden age of Mughal art and architecture. Considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, the Taj Mahal was built in memory of his beloved wife. Who deposed and imprisoned him in 1658? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 On the outskirts of every agony sits some observant fellow who points.Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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look on the sunny side (of life/things)— To view one's life, situation, or circumstances with a generally optimistic and cheerful attitude; to focus on what is positive in life. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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.jpg) Víspera de Día de los Tres Reyes (Eve of Three Kings Day) (2025)Throughout most of Latin America and Spain, Epiphany is called el Día de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day). In Mexico, on the night of January 5, children stuff their shoes with hay and leave them out for the Wise Men to fill with sweets and gifts—much as children elsewhere leave their Christmas stockings out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. And just as letters to Santa are a popular custom in the United States, Mexican children often write letters to the Magi (the Three Wise Men), listing their good deeds and suggesting what gifts they would like to receive. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: leisureempty - First meant "at leisure, unoccupied," and it could also mean "unmarried." More... leisure - Based on Latin licere, "be allowed." More... scholastic - Based on Latin scholasticus, "devote one's leisure to learning." More... vacation - Coming from Latin vacation/vacatio, from vacare, "to be free, empty; to be at leisure," around 1395, this term entered Old English, meaning "rest and freedom from any activity." More... | |