Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, June 24, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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recluse
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Subject-Verb Agreement with Uncountable NounsBecause uncountable nouns cannot be plural, it is very important to use the correct subject-verb agreement. What form of a verb must uncountable nouns take? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 RasputinRasputin was a notorious figure in the court of Czar Nicholas II due to his magnetic personality and relative success in treating the czarevitch's hemophilia. His appointees filled high positions, and those who opposed him were dismissed. A semiliterate peasant, Rasputin gained a reputation as a holy man, preaching a doctrine of salvation that mixed religious fervor with sexual indulgence. In 1916, a group of right-wing patriots plotted to kill him. What happened when they tried to poison him? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Sally Ride Returns to Earth (1983)Before astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman to reach outer space, she made a name for herself as a nationally-ranked tennis player. After earning her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Stanford University, she took part in her first space shuttle mission in 1983, serving on board the Challenger. She later served on the panels that investigated the Challenger and Columbia shuttle disasters. What two women preceded Ride in space? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Saint John of the Cross (1542)Saint John of the Cross was a Spanish mystic, poet, and monastic reformer. A Carmelite monk, he was ordained a priest in 1567. The following year, he joined St. Teresa of Ávila in her effort to restore the Carmelites to their original austerity, cofounding the Discalced Carmelite order. He opened the first Discalced Carmelite monastery in 1569 and was imprisoned in 1577 for causing friction within the order. He escaped and later won high office in the order. What did he write while in prison? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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not your father's— Very modern or updated; no longer what an older generation would expect or be used to. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Encaenia Day (Oxford) (2025)In general terms, encaenia refers to the festivities celebrating the founding of a city or the dedication of a church. But in Oxford, England, Encaenia Day—sometimes referred to as Commemoration Day—is the day at the end of the summer term when the founders and benefactors of Oxford University are commemorated and honorary degrees are awarded to distinguished men and women. The ceremonies take place in the Sheldonian Theatre, built between 1664-68, which offers an exceptional view from its cupola of Oxford's spires and gargoyles. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: vaporatmosphere - Derives from Greek atmos, "vapor," and sphaira, "globe," and is literally "ball of vapor." More... brume, brumous - Brume is a poetic term meaning "mist, fog, or vapor"; brumous means "foggy." More... damp - The noun first meant "vapor, steam," or "smoke"—especially that which was harmful or noxious. More... transpire - Had an early sense of "emit as vapor through the surface"—from trans-, "through," and spirare, "breathe." More... | |