Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, October 15, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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alfresco
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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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 Codex MendozaAbout 20 years after the Spanish conquered the Aztec empire, they commissioned Aztec scribes to create the Codex Mendoza. Named for Antonio de Mendoza, the first viceroy of New Spain, the codex contains a history of Aztec conquests, a description of Aztec daily life in traditional pictograms, and commentary added by Spanish missionaries. The codex was intended to be sent to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, but the ship carrying it was attacked. Where did it end up? 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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 The greatest trust, between man and man, is the trust of giving counsel. For in other confidences, men commit the parts of life; their lands, their goods ... some particular affair; but to such as they make their counselors, they commit the whole.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| 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... | |