Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, October 15, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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long-winded
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Verbs that Indicate the FutureBecause modal auxiliary verbs can be quite similar in how they are used, it is sometimes unclear when it's more appropriate to use one instead of another. For instance, "will" and "shall" can both be used to indicate the future. But "shall" can only be used to form the future tense when the subject is in what person? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Dorus RijkersRijkers was a Dutch lifeboat captain and folk hero who became famous for his sea rescues of nearly 500 shipwrecked victims. His life-saving career began in 1872 while he was captain of his own boat. While at sea, he saved all 25 crew members of the ship Australia from drowning. He later joined a Dutch lifeboat society as a volunteer and saved hundreds of people during dozens of rescue operations over three decades. How did Rijkers get the nickname Opa, which means "Grandpa"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Graf Zeppelin Completes Its First Transatlantic Flight (1928)The Graf Zeppelin was a German, hydrogen-filled, passenger airship—the largest built up to that time. It inaugurated transatlantic flight service in 1928, making its first crossing in 111 hours. During its years of service, it completed 590 flights, including 64 to South America, two to the Middle East, and one around-the-world tour. It was retired from service in 1937, when the Hindenburg disaster brought an end to commercial zeppelin travel. Why was the airship destroyed during WWII? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Marie Carmichael Stopes (1880)A Scottish paleobotanist whose first marriage was annulled—and allegedly never consummated—Stopes went on to publish a controversial yet highly influential sex manual, Married Love, in 1918. Thereafter, she became a pioneer in the field of family planning, opening the first birth-control clinic in the British Empire in 1921. Stopes helped break down taboos and improve women's reproductive health, but her support of what field of reproductive science has somewhat marred her reputation? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is no recollection which time does not put an end to, and no pain which death does not remove.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a little leery— Cautious, wary, or uncertain of a given person, place, or thing. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Kenka Matsuri (2024)The Kenka Matsuri (Roughhouse Festival) takes place October 14-15 in Shirahama, Japan, and thousands flock to the shrine where the festival is held. The roughhousing starts as teams of mikoshi-bearers jostle each other for position in the procession to the Matsubara Hachiman Shrine. Once they reach the shrine, they spin their heavy burden, raise it up high in the air and let it crash to the ground—difficult maneuvers designed to thrill the crowd. The mikoshi engage in a final battle in an open field, where thousands of cheering spectators take sides and and egg them on. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: scrapeerase - From Latin e-, "out," and radere, "scrape." More... raze, razor - Raze, from French raser, "shave close," is from Latin radere, "scrape, scratch"—also giving us razor. More... gride - To scratch, scrape, or cut with a grating sound. More... scrumble - To scrape or scratch (something) out of or from. More... | |