Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, June 25, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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face-off
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Auxiliary Verbs - ShallThe modal auxiliary verb "shall" is used in many of the same ways as "will," including to form future tenses and to make requests or offers. Generally, "shall" is only used with what subject pronouns? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 FermentationFermentation is the process by which a living cell obtains energy by breaking down simple sugars and other molecules without using oxygen. It occurs in different chemical sequences in different species of organisms. In alcoholic fermentation, known to humans for at least 7,000 years, the glucose molecule is degraded to two molecules of the two-carbon alcohol, ethanol, and to two molecules of carbon dioxide. What serious illness can result from eating fermented food? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Korean War Begins (1950)After WWII, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel, with Soviet forces occupying the north and US forces occupying the south. Negotiations to reunify the two zones failed, and in 1950 the North invaded the South. US President Harry Truman ordered troops to assist South Korea, and the UN backed the mission. As UN troops advanced across North Korea, the People's Republic of China intervened, pushing them back to the original boundary at the 38th parallel. How many people were killed in the war? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sidney Lumet (1924)Lumet was an American film and television director with over 50 films to his name, three of which received Academy Award nominations for Best Director. He began acting as a child, appearing in Yiddish productions and on Broadway. After serving in WWII, he began directing plays and teaching acting. He directed more than 200 television dramas before making his debut as a movie director in 1957 with the acclaimed Twelve Angry Men. For what did Lumet receive an Academy Award in 2005? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Words are but wind; and learning is nothing but words; ergo, learning is nothing but wind.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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not say boo to a goose— To be particularly shy, diffident, or timid by nature. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Keller Festival (2016)This festival in Tuscumbia, Alabama, honors Helen Keller and her remarkable life. Born in Tuscumbia in 1880, she was left blind, deaf, and mute by illness at the age of 19 months. Helen learned to read and write and later graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College. She became known for her writings and toured the world to promote opportunities for blind and deaf persons. Festival events include art exhibits, musical entertainment, a parade, and historic tours. At Miss Keller's birthplace, Ivy Green, visitors can see the pump at which Helen learned her first word, "water." More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sitstrimmer - One who sits on the fence or remains neutral about political issues. More... insessor - One who sits in or on/upon something. More... nest - From Indo-European nizdos, literally "(place where the bird) sits down." More... soot - Etymologically, something that "sits" on something else—like film settling on a surface. More... | |