Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, November 17, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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sybarite
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Present Indicative vs. the Future IndicativeThe present indicative describes things that are happening, are about to happen, or are believed to be happening. What does the future indicative describe? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Ilan RamonRamon was Israel's first astronaut. As a pilot in the Israeli Air Force, he fought in the Yom Kippur War and took part in the bombing of Iraq's Osiraq nuclear reactor. He went on to serve as payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia and was killed when the craft disintegrated during re-entry. Despite being a secular Jew, Ramon reportedly observed Jewish law while in space, feeling he represented "all Jews and all Israelis." Which of his belongings survived the shuttle crash? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Attempted Assassination of Umberto I of Italy (1878)The son of Victor Emmanuel II, Umberto I was king of Italy from 1878 to 1900. Increasingly authoritarian, he favored imperialistic and pro-German policies and disregarded the recommendations of parliamentary leaders. His orientation helped lead to the conclusion of the Triple Alliance. Facing increasing social unrest, he supported the imposition of martial law and created a period of turmoil that culminated in three attempts on his life. He survived the first two. Who was the third assassin? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Rock Hudson (1925)Hudson was an American actor who worked at odd jobs before making his film debut in 1948. His wholesome good looks made him a popular star in Douglas Sirk melodramas, and his comedic talents were displayed in a series of romantic comedies costarring Doris Day. He appeared in over 70 films and TV shows during the course of his career. His death from AIDS in 1985 greatly increased awareness of the disease. What notable film roles did Hudson reportedly turn down to film A Farewell to Arms? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Workers of the world unite; you have nothing to lose but your chains.Karl Marx & Frederick Engels (1818-1883) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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lay down and die— To quit; to give up hope or ambition. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Festival Indígena (Jayuya Indian Festival) (2023)The Jayuya Indian Festival was started in 1969, when new traces of the Taíno Indian culture were discovered in and around Jayuya, Puerto Rico. Festival events include Indian ceremonies and dances as well as concerts featuring fotutos (conch shells) as instruments. There is a ceremonial Taino ball game that resembles soccer, and a village (yukayeque) of thatched-roof huts that enables visitors to see how the Indians lived. Visitors can attend lectures on the Taino language and customs or take a tour of the caves containing the Indian drawings. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: temporarybooth - First a temporary dwelling made of branches, material, etc. More... learning cottage - A residential trailer used as a temporary or portable classroom. More... lodge - First was a temporary dwelling, as a hut or tent. More... jerry-built - Is either from English dialect jerry, "bad, defective," a pejorative use of the male nickname Jerry, or from nautical slang jury, "temporary," which came to be used of all sorts of makeshift and inferior objects. More... | |