Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, June 5, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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spillway
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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When to Conjugate for PersonEvery verb in English (except modal auxiliary verbs) conjugates for grammatical person. However, this conjugation only occurs in one specific instance: if the subject is singular and in the third person, and if the verb is in the present simple tense. If this is the case, we most often conjugate the verb by adding what to the end? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Al-Azhar UniversityLocated in Cairo, Egypt, Al-Azhar University was founded in 972 CE as a madrasa—a place of Islamic learning. By teaching numerous subjects in the same place, it was one of the first universities in the world and the only one to survive as a modern university. Historically, students primarily studied the Qur'an and Islamic law. Today, the university is the world's chief center of Arabic literature and Islamic learning. When did it begin teaching a wide range of secular subjects? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 US Secretary of State George Marshall Announces the Marshall Plan (1947)World War II left the finances and industry of Europe crippled. In 1947, Marshall proposed a plan for the US to finance the European recovery. From 1948 to 1952, it provided almost $13 billion in grants and loans to 17 countries and was a key factor in reviving their economies and stabilizing their political structures. While most of Europe embraced the plan, it was strongly opposed by the Soviet Union and some Eastern European nations. How, according to Marshall, would this plan benefit the US? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Couch Adams (1819)Before the planet Neptune was discovered, Adams—an English astronomer and mathematician—correctly predicted its existence and position based on irregularities in the motion of Uranus. However, the credit for the discovery went to Urbain Leverrier, who had come to the same conclusion later but published his findings earlier. In 1846, the planet was first observed by a German astronomer using Leverrier's calculations. A modest man, Adams also declined to publish what other findings? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The very essence of an instinct is that it is followed independently of reason.Charles Darwin (1809-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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(one's) moment in the sun— A brief period of time in which one is or has been particularly successful, popular, famous, etc., especially when set against an otherwise moderate or unremarkable life. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Denmark Constitution Day (2025)This public holiday commemorates the constitution signed on June 5, 1849, that made Denmark a constitutional monarchy, and the one signed on June 5, 1953, that created parliamentary reforms. A parade takes place in Copenhagen, and other festivities are held in villages throughout Denmark. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: shydemur, demure - Demur is the verb "to object or voice opposition," while demure is the adjective meaning "modest, shy." More... farouche - Means "sullen or shy in company." More... milquetoast - Comes from a comic strip character created in 1924 who was shy, timid, and unassertive. More... shrinking violet - Violets actually shrink as if they become shy, giving us this term. More... | |