Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, October 5, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using the Present Continuous Tense with "Always"There is a special usage when the adverb "always" is used between "be" and the present participle. Rather than literally meaning that the action always happens (as you might expect), it instead means that that action very often happens. What else does this construction convey? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 SeppukuAlso known as hara-kiri, seppuku is a form of ritual suicide by disembowelment formerly practiced by members of Japan's samurai class. Favored because it was slow and painful—and therefore demonstrative of courage and strong resolve—voluntary seppuku was performed to avoid the dishonor of capture, show loyalty to one's lord, protest against a policy, or atone for failure. Over time, an elaborate ritual evolved that began with the samurai bathing and then dressing in robes of what color? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Dr. No, the First James Bond Film, Is Released (1962)In 1953, Ian Fleming published Casino Royale, the first of 12 novels featuring James Bond, the stylish, high-living secret service agent 007, who became one of the most successful heroes of 20th-century fiction. Packed with action, espionage, and sex, all 12 books—including From Russia, with Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball—became popular films. Although it was not the first Bond book, Dr. No was the first to be adapted for the big screen. Who starred as 007? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Joshua Lockwood Logan III (1908)Logan was an American stage and film director and writer. He studied in Moscow under Constantin Stanislavsky and began to direct and act on Broadway and work on Hollywood films in the 1930s. He served as an intelligence officer in WWII, after which he directed a series of hit plays and musicals, including South Pacific, which he cowrote with Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Why, when it won a Pulitzer Prize in 1950, were only Rodgers and Hammerstein initially listed as awardees? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Do you know why this world is as bad as it is? ... It is because people think only about their own business, and won't trouble themselves to stand up for the oppressed, nor bring the wrongdoer to light.Anna Sewell (1820-1878) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a little from column A, a little from column B— Having been formed from two distinct factors, elements, or reasons. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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.svg.png) Fiestas de Octubre (October Feasts) (2020)The October Feasts have been held every year in the city of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, since 1965. Throughout the month, residents and visitors enjoy a variety of cultural events that celebrate local and international culture, including opera, jazz and other musical performances, art exhibits, folk dances, ballet, theater, and food. Attendees can also find amusement park rides, bungee jumping, and a haunted house billed as "one of the largest in Latin America." More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: slopeescarpment, scarp, palisade(s) - A cliff formation or line of cliffs can be called an escarpment, scarp (from Italian scarpa, "slope"), or palisade(s). More... scree - A mass of small loose stones that form or cover a slope on a mountain. More... katabatic - Skiing is a katabatic sport—moving down a slope or valley. More... | |