Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, March 3, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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wraith
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Grammatical PersonGrammatical person refers to the degree of involvement of a participant in an action, event, or circumstance. There are three degrees of grammatical person. What are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Kalahari DesertThe Kalahari Desert is an arid to semi-arid desert area that extends over 362,500 sq mi (900,000 sq km), forming most of Botswana and extending into Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Although its name is likely derived from words meaning "great thirst" or "a waterless place," the Kalahari is not a true desert. In fact, some areas receive erratic rainfall and are well vegetated, and the region is home to a number of animals. What is sand mining, and how does it impact the Kalahari's wildlife? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Alexander II of Russia Signs the Edict of Emancipation (1861)Signed by Czar Alexander II of Russia, the 1861 Edict of Emancipation granted liberty to more than 23 million serfs, about one-third of the Russian population. The edict extended to the serfs the full rights of citizens, in particular, the right to own property—which they were to receive from the landlords and pay off over time. However, the process by which they were to acquire this land was slow, complex, and expensive, and the discontent it generated eventually helped what revolution succeed? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jamsetji Tata (1839)Tata was an Indian entrepreneur and pioneer industrialist known as "the father of Indian industry." He began his career at his father's trading firm but formed his own company in 1868 and had early success in the textile industry, buying, selling, and setting up cotton mills. He went on to establish the Tata Group of companies, which now has interests in steel, automobiles, information technology, energy, tea, and hotels. A multinational conglomerate, the Tata Group is today based in what city? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Bashfulness is an ornament to youth, but a reproach to old age.Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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all wound up— Very tense and/or nervous. Jittery. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Vasaloppet (2019)The biggest cross-country ski race in the world takes place in Sweden on the first Sunday in March each year. The course begins on the border between Norway and Sweden, in a huge frozen field outside the village of Sälen, and ends 54 miles away in the Swedish town of Mora. The race was named for Gustav Vasa, who persuaded the people of Mora to help him drive out the Danes in 1520. He later ruled the country for almost 40 years as King Gustavus I. More than 325,000 have officially completed the Vasaloppet since the race became a national ski festival in 1922. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sailscrab-skuit - A small, open fishing boat with sails. More... haul - Originally had the nautical meaning of "to trim the sails to sail closer to the wind." More... sail - Once meant specifically "to travel on a ship with sails," and, later, "to travel on any ship"; figuratively, it means "to go through effortlessly," as in, "to sail through the exam." More... three sheets to the wind - Pertains to chains that regulate the angle of sails; if the sheets were loose, the boat would become unstable and tipsy. More... | |