Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, July 4, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Passive VoiceThe passive voice is a type of grammatical voice in which the subject is acted upon by the verb. In passive-voice sentences, what is the receiver of the action? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 JanissariesTaking their name from the Turkish yeniçeri—meaning "new troop"—Janissaries were elite members of the Ottoman Empire's army from the late 14th to the early 19th century. Originally formed using of prisoners of war, the corps later "recruited" members through a "blood tax" known as devsirme, which required Balkan vassals to hand over Christian youths to be converted to Islam and placed in the service of the sultan. What early firearms were commonly used by the Janissaries? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass Published (1855)Often considered the most influential volume of poetry in American literature, Whitman's Leaves of Grass was unconventional in both content and technique and initially scandalized the public with its frank celebration of sexuality. The first edition contained 12 poems, including "Song of Myself," in which the author proclaims himself the symbolic representative of common people, but Whitman revised and expanded subsequent editions. How many poems are found in his "deathbed edition"? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807)Garibaldi is considered an Italian national hero for his role in the Risorgimento, the movement to liberate and unify Italy. In 1848, after having spent time in South America learning guerilla warfare tactics, he returned to Italy to fight for its independence. He fought Austria in Milan and France in Rome. In 1860, he raised an army of 1,000 and attacked Sicily. By the end of his campaign, he commanded 30,000 men, with whom he seized Naples, before handing all of southern Italy over to whom? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 All idealization makes life poorer. To beautify it is to take away its character of complexity—it is to destroy it.Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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cry-baby— A person who cries or complains a lot, especially for little reason. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 National Tom Sawyer Days (2019)Sponsored by the Hannibal, Missouri, Jaycees, the National Tom Sawyer Days celebration began in 1956 with a Tom Sawyer Fence Painting Contest and a Tom and Becky competition. Three years later, all of the events relating to the character were combined with the traditional Fourth of July celebration in Hannibal, and Independence Day was officially proclaimed "Tom Sawyer Day." Today the festival spans five days and includes a number of unique competitions. The Frog Jump Competition is one of the festival's highlights, drawing up to 300 children and their pet frogs. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rhymeassonance - The condition of the words of a phrase or verse having the same sound or termination without rhyming. More... blank verse - A verse without rhyme. More... rhyme - From Latin rhythmus, "rhythm," from Greek rhein, "to flow." More... rhyme or reason - A phrase derived from French ni rime ni raison. More... | |