Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, February 8, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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condescending
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Interrogative AdjectivesEnglish has three interrogative adjectives: "what," "which," and "whose." They are called "interrogative" because they are usually used to ask questions. How can they be differentiated from interrogative pronouns? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Tightrope Between the TowersPhilippe Petit is a French high-wire artist who gained fame for his illegal 1974 walk between the former Twin Towers in New York. After six years of planning, Petit used a 450-pound (204-kg) cable and a 26-foot (8-m), 55-pound (25-kg) balancing pole to make eight crossings between the still unfinished towers—walking, jumping, and lying down on the wire for more than an hour before being arrested when he returned to the tower roof. What punishment did Petit receive for his stunt? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 NASDAQ Stock Market Begins Trading (1971)When the NASDAQ stock exchange began trading in 1971, it was the world's first electronic stock market. Founded in New York by the National Association of Securities Dealers, NASDAQ initially existed as computer bulletin board system that did not yet connect buyers and sellers. Today, it lists more companies and has more trading volume than any other US electronic stock exchange. In 2007, NASDAQ acquired the oldest stock exchange in America for $652 million. Which exchange did NASDAQ buy? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jules Gabriel Verne (1828)Verne was a French novelist credited with originating the modern genre of science fiction. Early on, he was interested in theater and wrote librettos for operas. Later, he drew upon his knowledge of science and geography to write romances of extraordinary journeys, which quickly became very popular. He wrote more than 50 books in his lifetime, including A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days. Why did Verne's nephew shoot him in the leg in 1886? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I never deal in transformations, for they are not honest, and no respectable sorceress likes to make things appear to be what they are not.L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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grasp in the dark— To seek out a solution, meaning, or sense of purpose in a blind, aimless, or uncertain manner. Often used in the progressive tense. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Torch Fights (2020)Torch fights are still popular in some rural areas in Korea to celebrate the first full moon of the Lunar New Year (Sol). Neighboring farming villages form their own teams and fight each other with torches made of burning bundles of straw. A hill is usually the designated battleground, and the torch-bearers gather there and wait for the full moon to rise, at which point a gong signals the beginning of the battle. Members of each team rush their opponents, brandishing their lit torches. While no one usually gets hurt in this game, participants generally go home with singed hair and clothing. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wiremuselet - The wire that holds a champagne cork in place. More... reinforced concrete - Has wire or metal bars embedded to increase its tensile strength. More... down to the wire - Alludes to the imaginary wire at the finish line in a horse race. More... under the wire - Meaning "just in time," it is also from horse racing. More... | |