Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, April 14, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Stative Verbs and TenseStative verbs can be in the present, past, or future tense; however, because they describe static conditions, they are usually unable to progress through time, and they therefore cannot be used when forming the continuous or progressive forms of verb tenses. However, some stative verbs can be used in a continuous tense in what situations? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Lion-BaitingBaiting is a blood sport that involves setting game dogs upon an often chained up animal for the purpose of subduing it by incapacitating or killing it. In 1610, during the reign of James I of England, the first recorded lion-baiting event was staged for the amusement of his court. The practice continued in the UK until the early 19th century, when public outrage brought the issue to the attention of parliament. What became of the one dog that survived the 1610 event? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Volvo Car Company Founded (1927)In 1924, Assar Gabrielsson, sales manager at the Swedish ball-bearing manufacturer SKF, and engineer Gustaf Larson decided to build an automobile that could withstand Sweden's rough roads and harsh climate. Their first car—nicknamed "Jakob"—rolled off the line on April 14, 1927, which Volvo considers its founding date. The following year, they created a truck that was immediately popular and contributed to the company's early success. The name Volvo is Latin, not Swedish, and means what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Julie Frances Christie (1941)Christie is a British actress who became an icon of the 1960s "Swinging London" era. Just four years after she made her film debut, she won an Academy Award for her performance in Darling (1965). Throughout the course of her long career, she has been notoriously selective about the roles she accepts and has appeared in such notable films as Dr. Zhivago and Hamlet. After resisting the idea of marriage for many years, Christie finally married for the first time at what age? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "That fact has not created in me a sense of obligation."Stephen Crane (1871-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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nature's way of (doing something)— A natural biological process by which something is done or accomplished. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Takayama Matsuri (2018)Held twice a year in Japan, in the spring and the autumn, the Takayama Festival is famous for its elaborately decorated yatai (festival floats), which are adorned with beautiful fabrics, lacquered wood, and patterned metals. Twelve of these floats appear at the April festival, held at Takayama's Hie Shrine, and 11 participate in the October festival. Some yatai feature performances of kabuki (puppet plays), often performed by mechanical marionettes. A highlight of the festival is the parade of gongs known as tokeigaku, which produce a unique kind of folk music. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: terrierwhippet - A cross between a greyhound and a terrier. More... terrier - A dog that "takes the earth" or unearths its prey, from Latin terra, "earth." More... Dobermann, pinscher - Dobermanns are named for German dog breeder Ludwig Dobermann; pinscher means "terrier" in German. More... Jack Russell - A type of terrier—not recognized as a distinct breed— named for the Rev. John Russell (1795-1883) of Devonshire. More... | |