Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, November 6, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
middling
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
"Will" and Interrogative SentencesAs a modal auxiliary verb, "will" is particularly versatile, having several different functions and meanings. If we want to make a question, what do we do to "will"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The White HunsFirst mentioned around 125 CE in Chinese writings, the White Huns were an agricultural people of obscure origin with possible Tibetan or Turkish roots. They successfully invaded Persia and India in the 5th century but were driven out in the 6th century. They had little effect in Persia, but in India they influenced society by altering the caste system and disrupting the hierarchy of the ruling families. Were the White Huns related to the Huns who invaded Europe in the fourth and fifth centuries? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 The Green March Begins (1975)Extremely arid and almost entirely sand and gravel, the sparsely populated territory of Western Sahara was a protectorate of Spain until the 1970s. Despite internal calls for independence, the king of neighboring Morocco led a march of more than 300,000 unarmed Moroccans into the territory as a show of support for annexation. Known as the Green March, the mass demonstration led to Spanish withdrawal, but control of the region is still contested. What other group claims the territory? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Joanna the Mad (1479)Joanna was the first queen regnant of both Castile and Aragon, which would become modern Spain. Though Joanna likely suffered from depression, the extent of her mental illness may have been exaggerated for political reasons. Throughout much of Joanna's reign, her father, husband, and son vied for power, each ruling on her behalf by attesting to her insanity. Joanna remained confined for much of her life. According to some accounts, what did she do with her husband's body after he died? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 I am as desirous of being a good neighbor as I am of being a bad subject.Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
inch-perfect— Extremely accurate; very well placed or perfectly judged. (Used especially of maneuvers, moves, or shots in sport.) Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Sitka Whalefest (2020)Gray whales are native to the northern Pacific Ocean. They spend their summers in the Bering Sea but migrate every year to the waters off the coast of Mexico. Since the whales prefer to hug the coast, they are often visible to those living in seaside towns. Several towns along the migration route celebrate the whales' yearly appearances by hosting whale festivals. In Alaska, the town of Sitka holds a whale festival in November. Festival organizers coordinate a program of whale-watching tours, special presentations by marine biologists, and performances by Native and Russian dance troupes. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: stalkstipe - A stalk or stem of a seaweed, fungus, or fern frond. More... cranberry - First crane berry, so named because the plant grows on a stalk that looks like a crane's neck. More... spire - In Old English, it meant "stalk" or "stem." More... stalk - In a car, the flexible arm holding the mounting by which a seatbelt is secured. More... | |