Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 1, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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anachronistic
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Identifying Direct ObjectsDirect objects are directly affected by the verbs they complete. What questions can we ask to identify the direct object in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 OrientalismThe term "Orientalism," when used to refer to Westerners' study of Eastern cultures and peoples, has negative connotations, implying old-fashioned, prejudiced, outsider interpretations of the East. However, the term also refers to the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers, artists, and architects. Examples include Western attempts—from the Renaissance to the 18th century—to imitate the technical sophistication of what Chinese art form? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Emancipation Proclamation Is Formally Issued (1863)Though this edict, issued by US President Abraham Lincoln while the country was embroiled in a bloody civil war, was largely a symbolic gesture and did not actually end slavery, it was a major step on the road to abolition and sent a clear message about the Union's stance on the matter. The proclamation—which was almost entirely the work of Lincoln himself—declared free all slaves living in areas still engaged in revolt against the Union. What officially ended slavery in the US? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Huldrych Zwingli (1484)Zwingli was a Swiss theologian who championed the Reformation in Switzerland. Inspired by his studies rather than a crisis of faith, he challenged the ritualism, decadence, and hierarchy of the Catholic Church, and his stance on the sacrament of communion brought him into conflict with both Martin Luther and the Church. After a Zurich council approved many of his proposals, organs were destroyed, priests were allowed to wed, and the liturgy was simplified. In what 1531 battle was Zwingli killed? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Misery is manifold...as the rainbow; its hues are as various as the hues of that arch.Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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not have (one's) heart in (something)— To not be emotionally invested or enthusiastic about something; to have no drive or will to do something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bom Jesus dos Navegantes (2017)In Salvador, Brazil, the festival known as Bom Jesus dos Navegantes is celebrated on New Year's Day. A procession of small boats decorated with flags and streamers carries a statue of the Lord Jesus of Seafarers from the main harbor to the outlying beach of Boa Viagem. Thousands of spectators line Salvador's beaches to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. According to legend, sailors participating in the event will never die by drowning. A similar procession takes place on the same day in Angra dos Reis, 90 miles south of Rio de Janeiro. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: illnessaccession - Can be the "onset of illness or a powerful feeling." More... allopathy, homeopathy - Allopathy is treatment to suppress the symptoms of illness using the principle of opposites, while homeopathy encourages, rather than suppresses, the body's reaction to an illness. More... idiopathic disease - An illness of unknown cause. More... languor - Any distressed condition, such as illness, sorrow, fatigue, etc. More... | |