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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Adverbs of PurposeAdverbs of purpose (sometimes called adverbs of reason) tell us why something happens or is the case. They can modify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs. What parts of speech generally make up adverbs of purpose? 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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 Edward VIII Becomes King (1936)Edward VIII became king of Great Britain and Ireland upon the death of his father, George V, in 1936. He enjoyed immense popularity until the announcement of his intention to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American in the midst of divorcing her second husband. The government opposed the marriage, and the two sides clashed until Edward executed a deed of abdication, ending a 325-day reign as the first English monarch to relinquish his throne voluntarily. Who succeeded him? 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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in front of (one's) very eyes— Right in plain sight or while one is watching. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 El Pochó Dance-Drama (2019)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: scalesmechanical drawing - One made with scales, rulers, and compasses. More... ctenoid - Means "resembling a thin-toothed comb"—like the scales of some fish. More... level - Based on Latin libella, a diminutive of libra, "balance; scales." More... scab - First pertained to any skin disease in which pustules or scales were formed, and is from Old Norse skabbr, "crust over a wound." More... | |