Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, September 26, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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petrolatum
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Present Continuous TenseWe create the present continuous tense by using the present participle ("-ing" form) of the verb after the present-tense form of the auxiliary verb "be." We use the present continuous (also called the "present progressive") tense to speak about actions that are currently happening, whether generally or at the exact moment of speech. What else can it be used to describe? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Maxwell's DemonThe second law of thermodynamics—stating that any isolated microcosm moves only toward an increase in entropy—was accepted uneasily by the scientific community, and in 1867, physicist James Clerk Maxwell sought to disprove it. Maxwell's thought experiment utilized a hypothetical creature, which he called a "finite being," that could sort molecules of different velocities or temperatures without expending energy, thus bringing about a general decrease in entropy. Who dubbed the being a "demon"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Parthenon Is Partially Destroyed by an Explosion (1687)Built in the 5th century BCE on the Acropolis of Athens, the Parthenon was the chief temple of Athena in ancient Greece and the finest example of Doric architecture. In 1687, during the Venetian attack on Athens, the Turks used it for storing gunpowder. The stores were ignited during the bombardment, causing an explosion that partly destroyed the building. Still, its basic structure remains intact and reconstruction efforts are underway. What does the word "Parthenon" mean in Greek? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Lewis Hine (1874)Hine was an American photographer whose career began shortly after he bought his first camera in 1903. Devoted to capturing images of the dark side of the industrial revolution in the US, he documented the poverty of immigrants and the plight of child laborers. The power of his images placed him at the forefront of 20th-century documentary photographers and helped bring about the passage of child labor laws. Some of his most famous images document the construction of what iconic skyscraper? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Men often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dislike.Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be (as) easy as one-two-three— To be extremely easy, simple, or intuitive; to require very little skill or effort. (Sometimes used with the numbers spelled out ("one-two-three") or written numerically ("123" or "1-2-3").) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Cure Salée (2024)The Tuareg, a largely nomadic ethnic group found primarily in Algeria, Niger, Mali, and Libya, converge with their camels and cattle on a place known as Ingal just after the first rains of the season arrive. The Salt Festival takes its name from the salt contained in the new grass, which is essential to the animals' diet. Each Tuareg group participating in the Cure Salée follows a very specific transhumance or seasonal migration route, some traveling hundreds of miles. The return of the rains is also celebrated with dancing, singing, and camel races. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: hatchbooby hatch - First a kind of wooden hood over a hatch, readily removable. More... covey - Comes from French couver for the act of sitting on eggs ("covering" them) to hatch them. More... down the hatch - A drinking toast of nautical origin. More... | |