Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 8, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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connive
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Adverbial PhrasesAn adverbial phrase is a group of words that functions as an adverb in a sentence. That is, it modifies a verb, adjective, adverb, clause, or the sentence as a whole. "Very quickly" is an adverbial phrase. What are some others? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Tunneling ShieldsTunneling shields are used in the excavation of tunnels through soft ground, especially under rivers or in water-bearing strata, to prevent the tunnels from collapsing before they are reinforced with concrete, cast iron, or steel support structures. The Thames Tunnel project in 1825 was the first in which a tunneling shield was used. Designed by Sir Marc Brunel, the device was considered unsuccessful and was not employed again until 1870, after what crucial improvement was made? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The African National Congress Is Founded (1912)The African National Congress (ANC) is a South African political party and black nationalist organization. Founded as the South African Native National Congress in 1912, the ANC began as a nonviolent civil rights group. After government massacres of demonstrators, however, the ANC began carrying out acts of sabotage and guerrilla warfare. As a result, its leaders were exiled, but in 1994, the ANC swept the country's first elections based on universal suffrage. Who was the ANC's famous leader? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Emily Greene Balch (1867)Balch was an American economist and sociologist who taught at Wellesley College until her dismissal in 1918 for opposing US involvement in World War I. She was a co-founder, along with Jane Addams, of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and served as its international secretary from 1919 to 1922. In 1946, she shared the Nobel Peace Prize with longtime YMCA leader John R. Mott. Balch was among the first graduates of what American college in 1889? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Two cheers for Democracy: one because it admits variety and two because it permits criticism.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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salty dog— A sailor, especially a man, who is older and/or has had a lot of experience on the seas. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Gynaecocratia (2022)The Greek title of this observance is a word that means female rule or government. This attempt at feminist revolt is of long tradition in northern Greece, where it is common for women to do all the household work and for most men to take life easy in cafes. Today, in the villages of Komotini, Xanthi, Kilkis, and Serres, that standard is reversed for a day when Gynaecocratia is celebrated. The women gather in village cafes to socialize, while the men stay at home cleaning house, tending the babies, and generally looking after household tasks. At dusk, the men join their wives in celebrations. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: profitRoman holiday - Enjoyment or profit derived from others' discomfort or suffering, based on the gladiator matches enjoyed by ancient Romans. More... bottom line - A reference to the line at the bottom of a financial statement that shows the profit or balance. More... improve - First meant "to make a profit for oneself" or "to employ to advantage; to make profitable use of." More... broker - Originally, a broker or brokour bought wine cheaply in quantity and sold it at a profit; broker came to mean any retailer who did this, or a middleman/agent. More... | |