Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, November 10, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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ramify
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Interrogative Pronouns and Reported QuestionsInterrogative pronouns can appear in the middle of reported questions. Reported questions are actually a form of declarative sentences using reported speech, which is what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Mud VolcanoesMud volcanoes are formations created by the geological emission of liquids and gases. They are frequently associated with earthquake zones, and when they erupt, they release an often acidic slurry as well as methane and other hydrocarbon gases. Some mud volcanoes also spew flames when they erupt, though the volcanoes themselves tend to be relatively cool. A 2006 drilling accident in Indonesia created a mud volcano that inundated a number of villages and displaced how many people? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Hope Diamond Donated to the Smithsonian Institution (1958)The Hope diamond is one of the largest blue diamonds known. Discovered in India, the original 115-carat stone was sold to King Louis XIV in the 1660s and remained part of the French crown jewels until a theft in 1792. In 1830, London banker Thomas Hope purchased a 45.5-carat diamond, now believed to have been cut from the stolen French jewel. After changing hands many times, the Hope diamond was eventually donated to the Smithsonian by jeweler Harry Winston. Why do some think the gem is cursed? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Richard Burton (1925)Richard Jenkins, better known by his stage name Richard Burton, was a dark, introspective actor who specialized in portraying conflicted men. His tempestuous marriage to Elizabeth Taylor led to an acting partnership that vaulted Burton to the top rank of stardom. Together they made 11 films, including Cleopatra and The Taming of the Shrew. Burton and Taylor were married twice, and their real-life marriage was popularly likened to the fictional marriage they portrayed in what film? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 All architecture is great architecture after sunset; perhaps architecture is really a nocturnal art, like the art of fireworks.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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first port of call— The first place where one stops to visit, accomplish something, or begin a process. Taken from nautical terminology, referring to the first port that a seafaring vessel calls in to at the beginning of a voyage. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Devathani Ekadashi (2016)Devathani Ekadashi is a Hindu festival, observed in rural areas, that celebrates the waking of Vishnu. Hindus believe that Vishnu's battle with the great demon Shankhasura was so exhausting that he went to sleep for a period of four months. Each year, Vishnu slumbers from the 11th day of Asadha until the 10th day of Kartika. During his long sleep, Hindu marriages and other ceremonies are not observed. Hindu women celebrate the festival by fasting, worshipping Vishnu, and singing hymns. Newly ripened crops, such as sugarcane and waternuts, may be eaten on this day for the first time. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: opportunityEl Dorado - A place offering fabulous wealth or opportunity (after the legendary place in South America, "the gilded one"). More... ease - First meant "opportunity, ability," or "means to do something." More... hint - First meant "an occasion or opportunity." More... occasion - Once had the specific sense of "an opportunity for finding fault or giving offense." More... | |