Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, July 15, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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collocation
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using "Should"The modal verb "should" is used to politely express obligations or duties. It is also used to ask for or issue advice, suggestions, and recommendations; to describe an expectation; to express surprise; and to create what kind of sentences? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Diving BellThe diving bell was an early diving submersible used for underwater exploration, sponge fishing, and salvaging sunken cargo. It consisted of a bottomless chamber connected to a compressed-air hose that would both refresh the air inside the chamber and maintain enough pressure to keep water from filling it as it descended. In the 16th century, inventor Guglielmo de Lorena created and used what is considered the first modern diving bell. What 4th-century philosopher first described such a device? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Chowchilla School Bus Kidnapping (1976)Chowchilla is a small California town that made national headlines when kidnappers took control of a school bus full of children in 1976. The 26 children and their bus driver, Ed Ray, were driven around in two vans for 11 hours before being forced into a moving van buried in a quarry. After 16 hours underground, Ray and the children managed to escape. All were safely returned home, and the kidnappers were soon arrested. What technique helped Ray to recall the kidnappers' license plate number? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Linda Ronstadt (1946)Ronstadt is an American popular-music singer and record producer. She embarked on a solo career in the late 1960s and became known for her interpretations of folk songs and collaborations with artists from a diverse array of genres. She became one of the most successful female singers of the 1970s and branched out in the 80s with award-winning Spanish language albums. One of her grandfathers was an inventor who made a fortune by patenting what widely used household item? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Acquaintance, n.: A person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to. A degree of friendship called slight when its object is poor or obscure, and intimate when he is rich or famous.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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(one's) other half— One's spouse, romantic partner, or boyfriend/girlfriend. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Hakata Gion Yamagasa (2021)The Gion Matsuri at Kyoto is the model for several other Gion festivals in Japan, and the largest of these is the Gion Yamagasa Festival at Fukuoka. The elaborate floats for which the festival is famous are called yamagasa, and beautiful new dolls are made for them each year. The festival begins on July 1, when participants purify themselves by collecting sand from the seashore. The highlight of the festival occurs on the morning of July 15, when the Oiyama race is held. This is a five-kilometer race in which teams of 28 men run while carrying yamagasa, weighing about a ton. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: startsptarmic - Describing a substance that starts a sneezing bout. More... early adopter - A person who starts using a technology or product as soon as it becomes available. More... prolepsis - Anticipation before something starts is prolepsis. More... start from scratch - Comes from giving handicaps to some competitors in racing; a contestant who starts from scratch (a line scratched in the turf or gravel) is the one who has no special advantage. More... | |