Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, March 28, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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heartburn
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Past ParticipleUnlike the present participle, the past participle form changes depending on the verb. The past participle of regular verbs ends in "-ed," and is generally the same as the simple past tense of the verb. What is the past participle of the regular verb "close"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 NeanderthalsNeanderthals were a species of the human genus Homo that inhabited much of Europe and the Mediterranean approximately 200,000–28,000 years ago. They were short, stout, and powerful; used fire; and buried their dead. Some scholars do not consider them direct ancestors of modern humans—Homo sapiens. Others regard them as a late form that was absorbed into modern human populations in some areas while dying out in others. How did their cranial capacity compare to that of modern humans? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Vikings Capture Paris (845 CE)Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse hero of the Viking Age whose life—which was spent largely invading one country after another—has been mixed with myth in many legendary accounts. One of his favorite tactics was to attack Christian cities on holy days, as he did in 845, when he arrived in Paris on Holy Saturday with 120 ships. By some accounts, he accepted a tribute of 7,000 pounds of silver from French King Charles the Bald in exchange for sparing the city. According to legend, how did he die? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Henry Schoolcraft (1793)Schoolcraft was a geologist, geographer, and ethnologist noted for his studies of Native American cultures as well as for his discovery of the source of the Mississippi River in 1832. His extensive relations with Native Americans—including his marriage to an Ojibwa woman—led to his appointment as an Indian agent, and he negotiated a treaty with the Ojibwa in 1836 that ceded much of their land to the US. Upon discovering the lake that feeds the Mississippi River, what did Schoolcraft name it? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Happiness is reflective, like the light of heaven; and every countenance, bright with smiles, and glowing with innocent enjoyment, is a mirror transmitting to others the ways of a supreme and ever-shining benevolence.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a light heart— To have a carefree, uplifted attitude; to be in a happy or gladdened state or condition. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Teachers' Day in the Czech Republic (2021)March 28 is the birthday of Jan Amos Komensky (or John Comenius; 1592-1670), a noted educational reformer and theologian in the former Czechoslovakia. Komensky was the first person to write an illustrated textbook for children, used for teaching Latin words; he was also a proponent of compulsory education. It has been traditional for children to honor him on Teachers' Day, or Komensky Day, by bringing flowers and gifts to their teachers. The day is also observed with lectures, music, and educational activities. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: slighthair-trigger - Its underlying meaning is something that may be triggered with the pressure of something as slight as a hair. More... legerdemain - "Slight of hand, conjuring tricks," from French, literally "light of hand." More... velleity - Describes a mild desire, wish, or urge that is too slight to lead to action. More... | |