Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, September 18, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Forming the Zero ConditionalA zero conditional sentence uses the present simple tense to talk about what is always or generally true. It is classified as a conditional because it creates a hypothetical situation to describe what would be true each time something happens. What is the general structure for the zero conditional? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Is Formed (1998)ICANN is a nonprofit corporation that manages domain name systems, the assignment of IP addresses and protocol parameters, and root server systems. The original mandate for ICANN came from a US government proposal to privatize the management of Internet names and addresses to allow for the development of competition and to facilitate global participation in Internet management. Its functions are now performed under US Government contract. What are some criticisms of the organization? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Jean Bernard Léon Foucault (1819)Foucault, a French physicist, invented the Foucault pendulum and used it to provide experimental proof that the Earth rotates on its axis. He improved astronomical instruments, especially the telescope, and with Armand Fizeau took the first clear photograph of the Sun. Foucault is also known for determining the speed of light with extreme accuracy and showing that light travels slower in water than in air. He had originally studied medicine but abandoned it for physics due to a fear of what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
need (something) (about) as much as (one) needs a hole in the head— To have absolutely no need or use for something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Fiestas Patrias (2024)Fiestas Patrias is the great national two-day holiday in Chile celebrating Independence Day, September 18, and Army Day, September 19. In the days preceding the holiday, fondas (fairs) pop up throughout Chile, and it is a popular time for Chilean rodeos. Huasos (cowboys) compete against one another by attempting to pin a calf against the wall of the medialuna, or arena, with their horse, and are awarded points based on which part of the horse is touching the calf. Because September marks the beginning of spring in Chile, Fiestas Patrias is also a popular occasion for kite flying. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: vowdrawing the nail - Means absolving oneself of a vow. More... vum - To swear or vow. More... votal - Means "associated with or having the nature of a vow." More... vote - From Latin votum, "vow, wish," which was its original meaning in English. The word had a number of meanings—now obsolete—before it took on the sense (in the 15th century) of "a formal expression of one's opinion or approval or disapproval of a matter, especially a candidate, motion, or proposal." More... | |