Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, January 9, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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wanderlust
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Conditional Verbs and TensesConditional verbs can be in the past, present, or future tense. Which tense they take depends on whether the sentence is referring to a condition or possible result in the past, the present, or the future. Why do conditional sentences often feature a mix of tenses? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Dürer's RhinocerosBased on secondhand descriptions, German printmaker Albrecht Dürer—who never actually saw a rhinoceros himself—made a woodcut of the exotic beast gifted to the king of Portugal in 1515. The image became wildly popular in Europe despite its inaccuracies, which include a horn on the animal's back and rivets in its armor. The rhino that inspired the woodcut perished in a shipwreck while being sent to the pope, but not before the king arranged for it to battle an elephant. Which animal won? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Davy Lamp Tested at Hebburn Colliery (1816)The Davy lamp was an early safety lamp used in the mining and quarrying industries. It was designed by English chemist and physicist Sir Humphrey Davy to prevent the accidental ignition of flammable gases. This was achieved by enclosing the flame of the oil-burning lamp in wire gauze that distributed heat over a large area and brought its temperature below the ignition temperature of methane. Why did the introduction of the Davy lamp initially lead to an increase in the rate of mining accidents? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Richard Milhous Nixon (1913)After serving as vice president of the US under Dwight D. Eisenhower, Nixon ran for president but lost to John F. Kennedy in 1960. He was elected president in 1968 and 1972, but his second term was cut short by the Watergate scandal, which involved the burglary and wiretapping of Democratic party headquarters. Likely facing impeachment, he became the first president to resign. Although never convicted, he was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford. What pet did Nixon receive as a political gift? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 If you don't get what you want, it's a sign either that you did not seriously want it, or that you tried to bargain over the price.Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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loose lip(s)— The practice, habit, or manner of speaking too frequently and/or without discretion, especially as might unintentionally lead to revealing private or sensitive information to others. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Black Nazarene Fiesta (2025)The largest festival in Manila, Philippines, held each year in honor of the Quiapo District's patron saint, the Black Nazarene, a life-sized statue of Jesus carved from blackwood, whose shrine is located in Quiapo's baroque church. The traditional nine-day fiesta begins on January 1, and features nightly cultural events, band concerts, and fireworks. On the last day of the festival, the statue's translación and enshrinement in the church is commemorated by a procession of barefoot men pulling a carriage that holds the 200-year-old statue on the way to Calvary. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: intellectheart - As the seat of feeling and intellect, heart has been used since around 825. More... intellect, intelligent - Intellect and intelligent come from Latin intelligere, "perceive" or "understand." More... intelligible - Means "understandable through the intellect." More... inwit - Usually means "an inner sense of right or wrong," but its more general meaning is "reason, intellect, understanding, or wisdom." More... | |