Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 20, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unfrequented
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Personal Pronouns and Possessive CaseAs the name implies, the possessive (or genitive) case changes the inflection of a personal pronoun to mark possession. There are two forms of personal pronouns in the possessive case. What are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Alternative BiochemistryTheories about extraterrestrial life forms whose biochemistries differ radically from those on Earth have given rise to alternative biochemistry, a speculative science that often appears in works of science fiction. Common examples proposed by scientists in this field include life forms that use elements other than carbon to construct primary cellular structures or those that use solvents other than water. Why is the silicon atom considered a possible basis for an alternative biochemical system? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Crash of Air Inter Flight 148 (1992)Air Inter Flight 148's trip from Lyon to Strasbourg, France, on January 20, 1992, was relatively uneventful until it came time to land. It was then that things went horribly wrong. The autopilot was mistakenly left in the wrong mode, accelerating the descent. The crew was unaware of the approaching danger because the plane was not equipped with ground proximity warning systems. All but nine of the 96 people on board were killed in the resultant crash. What else may have contributed to the crash? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 George Burns (1896)Often remembered as a cigar-puffing nightclub entertainer who continued performing into his late 90s, Burns began his career by forming a comedy team in 1925 with Gracie Allen, whom he married a year later. They performed on radio and television, usually with Allen playing a scatterbrained wife and Burns in the role of an infinitely patient husband. Burns continued to perform after his wife's retirement, winning an Academy Award and becoming well-known for his recurring film role as what figure? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The offhand decision of some commonplace mind high in office at a critical moment influences the course of events for a hundred years.Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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one after another— Consecutively and in quick succession, with one person or thing rapidly following another in order (and usually indicating a large amount altogether). (Often formulated as "one (noun) after another.") More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 El Pochó Dance-Drama (2022)St. Sebastian's Day is celebrated throughout Latin America, but the dance-drama El Pochó, which takes place in Tenosique in Tabasco State, Mexico, on this day, is unique. On the morning of January 20, everyone gathers at the prearranged location: a house or a plaza. The pochoveras enter in their long skirts and embroidered blouses and perform the initial dance. Then the cojóes enter, wearing masks with exaggerated features. Soon the tigres (jaguars) invade the dance space, and the cojóes and tigres play at hunting each other until, finally, they join forces to chase the audience. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: literarycenacle - A discussion group or literary clique—also, a small dining room where a literary or philosophic group eats and talks (from Latin cena, "dinner"), such as the room in which the Last Supper was held. More... literary - A painting or sculpture that depicts a story can be described as "literary." More... opuscule - A diminutive of opus, meaning a minor or small work, literary or musical. More... copyright - Literally, "the right to reproduce" one's own work or authorize others to do so; copyright protects original artistic, literary, dramatic, musical, and intellectual work in a tangible medium. More... | |