Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, August 11, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Identifying Reflexive VerbsReflexive verbs are verbs whose subjects are also their direct objects—that is, the action of the verb is both committed and received by the same person or thing. Reflexive verbs can most easily be identified by the use of what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Lake MalawiThe third largest lake in Africa and ninth largest in the world, Lake Malawi is bounded on the west and south by Malawi, on the east by Mozambique, and on the north by Tanzania. Also known as Lake Nyasa—so named by Scottish missionary David Livingstone in 1859—it is approximately 360 miles (580 km) long with an average width of 25 miles (40 km). Fed by 14 rivers, it is home to more than 200 recorded species of fish—making it one of the most species-diverse lakes in the world. How deep is it? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Mayan Long Count Calendar Begins (3114 BCE)The Long Count is one of the various ancient Mayan calendars that maintained complicated, cyclical measurements of time. It was intended to provide an accurate record of historical events and counts the days elapsed from a fixed starting point—calculated as August 11, 3114 BCE, the date of creation according to the Maya. Some believe that the calendar predicts the world's end on December 21, 2012, but scholars have widely rejected this claim. What was the significance of that date to the Maya? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778)A German patriot and educator at a time when Europe was actively trying to free itself from Napoleonic rule, Jahn founded a gymnastic society, Turnverein, to build strength and fellowship among young people as well as help foster a nationalistic spirit among members. After Napoleon's defeat, German leaders came to view the once-sanctioned organization as a threat and had its founder arrested in 1819 and a national ban placed on gymnastics. What now-standard gymnastics equipment did Jahn invent? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is no vice that doth so cover a man with shame, as to be found false and perfidious.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be put out of business— To be caused or forced to cease carrying on commercial trading or transactions. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Chad Independence Day (2022)On August 11, 1960, Chad became an independent country after struggling against the French since they first claimed Chad as a French territory in the 1890s. Celebrations of this national holiday—including parades, dancing, and singing—are often moved to January 11 because of the heavy rains in August. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: marriedbenedick, benedict - A long-time bachelor who is newly married is a benedick or benedict. More... quadrigamist - Someone who has married four times. More... connubial - A synonym for "married, wedded." More... matrimony - From Latin matrimonium, "state of being married," from mater, "mother," and monium, "-mony" (state, condition). More... | |