Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, April 15, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Infinitive PhrasesInfinitives are used to express an action as a concept, rather than what is being done or performed by the subject of a clause. In this way, they can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. They can also form infinitive phrases when combined with what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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| This Day in History | |
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 Ray Kroc Opens His First McDonald's Franchise (1955)Brothers Dick and Mac McDonald opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940 and introduced the "Speedee Service System," establishing the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant. Ray Kroc, a mixer salesman, recognized the idea's potential and partnered with the brothers. Kroc opened his first McDonald's franchise in Illinois in 1955 and later bought out the McDonald brothers. The company now has a global presence. What controversies have stemmed from its success? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Bessie Smith (1894)When Smith was just a teen, she became the protégée of Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, one of the earliest blues singers. After making recordings, she quickly became the favorite singer of the jazz public. The power and somber beauty of her voice, coupled with songs representing every variety of the blues, earned her the title "Empress of the Blues." Numerous critics have regarded her as the greatest of all jazz artists, and her fame increased enormously after her death in what tragic accident? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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| Idiom of the Day | |
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over (one's) head— Too complicated to be understood by one. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Jackie Robinson Day (2025)Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated throughout Major League Baseball (MLB) in honor of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play professional baseball in the MLB. On April 15, 1947, Robinson played his first professional game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. To commemorate Robinson's achievements, activities are planned each year at all MLB stadiums on April 15th. Home teams coordinate activities for the tribute, which may include pre-game award presentations, special guests throwing the first pitch, prizes for fans, and appearances by other legendary baseball stars. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: recognizerecognition mark - A distinctive one that makes an animal or bird easy to recognize by others of the same species. More... cognizance - Latin gnoscene, "know," begat cognoscere, "get to know; recognize," and it moved through French connoissance to English to become cognizance. More... sentence sense - The ability to recognize a grammatically complete sentence. More... appreciate, recognize, understand - The use of "appreciate" should involve valuing something or understanding it sympathetically; when there is no value or sympathy, use "recognize" or "understand"; appreciate first meant "set at a price; appraised." More... | |