Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, February 15, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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jamboree
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Aspects of the Present TenseWe use different aspects with verbs in the present tense to describe exactly how an event is structured in relation to the present moment in time. What is the present simple structure used to express? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Exorcism of Anneliese MichelMichel was a German woman who died in 1976 while undergoing exorcism treatments for demonic possession. She began suffering from seizures and depression when she was 16, the symptoms of which were not eased by conventional medical treatment. Convinced her condition was the result of demonic possession, Michel began a series of hour-long exorcism sessions that lasted nearly a year and ended with her death. Why were her parents and the priests who performed the exorcisms convicted of manslaughter? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 USS Maine Sinks, Prompting the US to Declare War on Spain (1898)In January 1898, the USS Maine was sent to protect American interests in Cuba, where an anti-Spanish insurrection was taking place. It sank weeks later, after an onboard explosion. Fueled by the conspiracy theories of American yellow journalism, outrage over the deaths of 260 of the ship's crew members helped push the nation toward the Spanish-American War. Several investigations into the sinking have since taken place, including one that was conducted in 1998. What were its findings? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jeremy Bentham (1748)Bentham was a British moral philosopher and legal theorist. A precocious student, he graduated from Oxford at age 15. In his writings, he became the earliest expounder of utilitarianism—the theory that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its usefulness in bringing about the greatest happiness for all those affected by it. His work inspired much reform legislation, especially regarding prisons. What was done with Bentham's body after his death, in accordance with his will? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 In matters of thought and conduct, to be independent is to be abnormal, to be abnormal is to be detested.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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within arm's reach— Close enough to touch, either literally or hypothetically. Easily attainable. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Great Backyard Bird Count (2019)The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place every year over four days in mid-February throughout the United States and Canada. Volunteers of all ages and experience, known as "citizen scientists," spend at least 15 minutes counting birds from any location. Then they report the number of birds and species they have seen via the Internet. This gives scientists a real-time portrait of which birds are where in North America. The event was launched in 1998 by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell University Ornithology Lab. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: prune | |