Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, June 14, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Positioning Adverbs of PlaceAdverbs of place generally appear immediately after the main verb in a sentence if it is intransitive, or else after the verb's object if it is transitive. Only two adverbs of place are very commonly used at the beginning of sentences. What are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The ScytaleSaid to have been utilized in ancient Greek military campaigns, the scytale is a cryptographic tool used in the creation and deciphering of transposition ciphers. It consists of a cylindrical rod around which a strip of paper or leather is wound. Because the message is written upon the wound strip, it appears as an illegible jumble of letters to anyone who does not bear a scytale of the appropriate diameter. Why do some question the veracity of Plutarch's early description of the scytale? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Falklands War: Argentine Forces Surrender to the British (1982)Both Argentina and Britain had long claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean when, despite ongoing negotiations, Argentina invaded the islands with 10,000 troops in April 1982. About 250 British soldiers and about 700 Argentines died before Argentina surrendered, ending the undeclared, 74-day war. The defeat discredited Argentina's military government and helped lead to the restoration of civilian rule in 1983. Who claims sovereignty over the islands today? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928)Guevara was a Latin American revolutionary who developed guerrilla warfare as a tool for revolution. Born in Argentina, Guevara traveled widely as a medical student and became convinced that only violent revolt would end the poverty he witnessed. He joined the Cuban Revolution and became one of Fidel Castro's most trusted aides before leaving to foster revolutions elsewhere. He was killed in 1967 while directing a guerrilla movement in Bolivia. What is the meaning of Guevara's nickname, "Che"? 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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great cry and little wool— A great deal of fuss, noise, fanfare, or protestation over something of little or no substance, importance, or relevance. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Rice-Planting Festival at Osaka (2025)There are many rituals associated with the growing of rice in Japanese farming communities. In many rural celebrations, young women in costume perform rituals including planting seedlings while singing rice-planting songs to the accompaniment of pipes and drums. On June 14 in Osaka, thousands congregate to observe a group of young kimono-clad women plant rice and sing in the sacred fields near the Sumiyoshi Shrine. Working rhythmically to the music, the young women appear to be participating in a dance rather than the hard work of planting. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: observercamera lucida - An optical device consisting of an attachment that enables an observer to view simultaneously the image and a drawing surface for sketching it. More... horoscope - Comes from Greek hora, "hour, time," and skopos, "observer." More... obverse - Its first meaning was "turned towards or facing the observer." More... zenith, nadir - Zenith derived from Arabic samt ar-ras, "the way or road above one's head"; zenith technically is the point directly above the observer and nadir is the point directly below. More... | |