Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, August 4, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Conjugations of "Be"Linking verbs are used to describe the state of being of the subject of a clause. The verb "to be" is the most common linking verb. Unique among English verbs, "be" has eight different conjugations. Can you name them all? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Emerald TabletRegarded by European alchemists as the foundation of their craft, the Emerald Tablet is a short, cryptic text that purportedly reveals the secret of the primordial substance and its transmutations. Even esteemed scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton have published translations of the text, which claims Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary sage or god variously identified with the Egyptian god Thoth and the Greek god Hermes, as its author. What is the oldest documentable source for this text? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The 4th of August Regime Established in Greece (1936)Political instability coupled with economic unrest undermined the Greek government for much of the 1920s and 30s and finally brought parliament to a standstill in 1936. On August 4 of that year, Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas declared a state of emergency, suspended parliament, and made himself dictator—with the blessing of the king. Though his 4th of August Regime suppressed political opposition, it also carried out beneficial economic and social reforms. What brought the regime to an end? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, the "Lion of Bombay" (1845)Mehta was a leading Indian lawyer, politician, and activist during the time of British rule in India. Though he was not directly opposed to the crown, he advocated for greater Indian autonomy and self-government. He is considered the father of municipal government in Bombay and promoted education, sanitation, and healthcare reforms in the city and around India. In 1885, he helped found the Indian National Congress, and he later served as its president. What was his opinion of English culture? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It's worth a fellow's while to be born into the world, if only to fall right asleep.Herman Melville (1819-1891) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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pull a prank (on someone)— To carry out a trick, deception, or practical joke (against someone). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Dog Days (2025)The Dog Days are known as the hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and usually occur in July and early August. In ancient times, the sultry weather in Rome during these months often made people sick, which they blamed on the fact that this was when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose at about the same time as the sun. There are many different ways of calculating which days in any given year are the dog days, but it is impossible to be precise; nowadays it is generally assumed that they fall between July 3 and August 11—slightly later than they occurred in ancient times. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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