Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 2, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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eye-popping
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Subject-Auxiliary InversionInversion refers to the reversal of the normal position of the subject and the auxiliary verb of a clause. Subject-auxiliary inversion is commonly used to create what kind of sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Iron PillarThe approximately 24-foot- (7-meter-) tall, 6-ton iron pillar located in the famous Qutb Minar complex of Delhi, India, is one of the world's foremost metallurgical curiosities. A testament to the advanced skill of ancient Indian ironsmiths, it is the last remaining part of a Hindu temple erected by 5th-century ruler Chandra Gupta II. Although it is about 1,600 years old, the pillar has never corroded. What theories have scientists advanced to explain the pillar's resistance to corrosion? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964)While on patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin, the USS Maddox was attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Two days later, US boats were supposedly attacked again without provocation. These events—known collectively as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident—prompted US Congress to pass a resolution allowing President Lyndon B. Johnson to use military force in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war, leading to increased US involvement in the Vietnam War. Had there in fact been a second attack? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Myrna Loy (1905)Originally typecast in exotic roles, often as a vamp, film actress Myrna Loy soon earned praise for her witty sophistication in 1934's The Thin Man. By 1936, she was a top box-office draw. Offscreen, she was never associated with Hollywood glamour or scandal. Instead, she was one of the few actors to protest against the House Committee on Un-American Activities during the McCarthy era. Her outspokenness on another issue resulted in her inclusion on what world leader's personal blacklist? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Censure is the tax a man pays to the public for being eminent.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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publicity hound— Someone who seeks to have the attention of the public constantly focused on him- or herself, typically by means of attracting media coverage. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Robin Hood Festival in Nottinghamshire (2025)The Robin Hood Festival takes place for one week in early August every year in Sherwood Forest, an ancient woodland in Nottinghamshire, England. The event celebrates the life and times of one of the most popular outlaws in the world: Robin Hood. Activities and entertainment include children's theater, strolling players, jesters, jousting, and music. There are demonstrations in such aged arts as falconry and long-bow-shooting, and a medieval market offers a variety of goods. As many as 75,000 visitors take part in the week's activities. It has taken place every year since 1975. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: ruleslect - A regional or social variety within a language, a form of speech defined by a homogenous set of rules. More... precisian - An overly precise person, a strict observer of rules and procedures. More... ring - Boxing started off in circles, and when the Marquess of Queensbury introduced a set of rules in 1867, he also introduced the roped-off square, which continued to be called the "ring." More... mistress - First meant "a woman who rules or has control," or a "woman who employs others, as servants." More... | |