Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, January 12, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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rive
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Ambitransitive VerbsSome action verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on the context of the sentence or what information the speaker wishes to include. These are sometimes known as "ambitransitive verbs." What are some examples of ambitransitive verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The History of FirefightingThe practice of firefighting has come a long way since the Roman Empire, when fire patrols relied on bucket brigades and pumps to extinguish blazes. The first fire engines arrived in Europe in the 17th century. Around this time, insurance companies—motivated by the Great Fire of London—formed private fire brigades, but they protected only the buildings they insured. In the early 18th century, France established the first modern brigades as a fee-based service. Why was the fee soon eliminated? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Motown Records Founded (1959)Detroit songwriter Berry Gordy, Jr., founded Motown Records in 1959 with an $800 loan from his family. The label scored its first big hit with the Miracles' "Shop Around" in 1960, and its roster soon boasted the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Supremes, and Marvin Gaye. By creating the "Motown sound"—lyrical ballads set to an infectiously rhythmic accompaniment—it helped to make African-American music part of the popular music industry. Where does the name "Motown" come from? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Singer Sargent (1856)The son of American expatriates, Sargent grew up in Europe and studied painting in Paris. His best known work is the Portrait of Madame X, which created a scandal at the 1884 Salon—critics found it erotic, and the sitter's mother disapproved. Discouraged, Sargent moved permanently to London where he captured Edwardian high society in elegant portraits painted with his slashing brushstrokes. Though his portraits brought him acclaim, fellow artist James Whistler described them in what way? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Thank goodness, we can choose our friends. We have to take our relatives as they are.Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be on (one's) best behavior— To be very polite or exercise exceptionally good manners. Primarily heard in US. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Zanzibar Revolution Day (2022)In December 1963, the African island of Zanzibar won independence from England. On January 12, 1964, a revolution led by John Okello of the Afro-Shirazi Party overthrew the sultan who ruled Zanzibar. Abeid Karume was named president and the country's name changed to the People's Republic of Zanzibar (now a semiautonomous part of Tanzania since merging with neighboring Tanganyika). Zanzibar Revolution Day commemorates the revolt that installed Karume as president. Celebrations are held at the Amaan Stadium, and a wreath is officially placed at the gravesite of Abeid Karume. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pigmentspastel - First pertained to pigment or paste and evolved to mean light or pale colors. More... excipient - An inactive substance that serves as the vehicle or medium for a drug; it is also the material or surface that receives the pigments in painting. More... primary colors, secondary colors - In dyes, pigments, and paints, the primary colors are red, yellow, and blue—which mix to make the secondary colors: orange, green, and purple. More... raw sienna, burnt sienna - Raw sienna is a brownish-yellow earth color obtained from a natural clay containing iron and manganese; burnt sienna is reddish-brown. More... | |