Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, March 30, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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baccarat
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Past Emphatic TenseWe can form a positive sentence in the past simple tense by using the past emphatic tense. It is formed by using "did" before the main verb, which is in the present tense. The emphatic past tense places special emphasis on what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 ProteusProteus is an early sea-god of Greek mythology, an old man whose responsibilities include tending to Poseidon's seals. Though he is said to have the gift of prophecy, Proteus goes to go to great lengths to avoid disclosing this knowledge and only does so if trapped. A shape-shifter, he evades capture by changing his appearance. For this reason, the adjective "protean"—meaning "versatile" or "capable of assuming many forms"—is derived from his name. Who captures Proteus in Homer's Odyssey? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Sicilian Vespers Rebellion (1282)By 1282, the French Angevin dynasty had controlled of the island of Sicily for decades. However, at the start of the traditional vespers service on Easter Monday, an uprising spontaneously broke out following a seemingly isolated altercation in which local residents sparred with French soldiers. The revolt spread like wildfire, and soon the Sicilians had massacred almost every French person on the island. What reportedly started the confrontation between the Sicilians and the soldiers? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Naomi Sims (1948)Often considered the first black supermodel, Sims was teased as an adolescent for her unusual height. While attending college, she attempted to earn money by securing modeling work but was frustrated by the racism of established agencies. Instead, she forged her own connections, achieving wide success and recognition in the 1960s and 70s before retiring to found a beauty-product empire. What film role did she turn down in 1972 due to the film's exploitative portrayal of African Americans? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The characteristic of coquettes is affectation governed by whim.Henry Fielding (1707-1754) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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like a chicken with the pip— In low spirits; in a weak or sickened state or manner. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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.svg.png) Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day (2021)This national holiday, instituted in 1996, honors an African-American religious sect once outlawed in Trinidad and Tobago. The Spiritual Baptists originally came to the islands as former American slaves. Their style of worship combines African and Baptist beliefs and practices, and services include bell ringing and shouting. In 1917, the government forbade the group from practicing their religion; this law was overturned in 1951. Their national holiday honors the Spiritual Baptists' long struggle against religious persecution. It is observed with speeches and religious services. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: interestedacquisitive - Means "very interested in acquiring money or material things." More... athenaeum - Can refer to "an association of persons interested in scientific and literary pursuits, meeting for the purpose of mutual improvement," or a reading room or library. More... speed dating - A type of matchmaking service in which participants meet for seven to eight minutes each before moving on to another participant, ultimately making a list of those they are interested in dating. More... imparlibidinous - When one partner is more interested in sex than the other, their relationship is imparlibidinous. More... | |