Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, May 17, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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clamorous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)When we tell other people what someone else told us, it is called indirect speech or reported speech. We use reporting verbs to introduce the information that was spoken previously. What are the most common reporting verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Arnolfini PortraitThe Arnolfini Portrait (1434) by Jan van Eyck is considered one of the most original and complex paintings in Western art history. It depicts a wealthy merchant, long thought to be Giovanni Arnolfini, and his wife. The incredible detail, realism, and use of light make this work remarkable, but it also stands out for the debate that it has inspired over the symbolism of certain elements, including the one lit candle in the chandelier, van Eyck's unusually placed signature, and what else? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Kentucky Derby (1875)The Kentucky Derby is a classic US thoroughbred horse race. Established in 1875, it is run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Kentucky. The field is limited to three-year-old Thoroughbreds, and the track distance is 1.25 mi (2,000 m). With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up US racing's coveted Triple Crown. In front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, the inaugural derby was won by jockey Oliver Lewis riding a colt named what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Bartholomew Roberts (1682)Now infamous as "Black Bart," Roberts was a Welsh pirate who raided ships off the coasts of the Americas and West Africa in the 18th century, during the period known as the "Golden Age of Piracy." Considered the most successful pirate of the era, he is estimated to have captured more than 400 vessels in a matter of a few years—far more than some of the best-known pirates of his day, such as Blackbeard or Captain Kidd. Roberts is one of the pirate captains mentioned in what famous pirate story? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Be generous, be delicate, and always pursue the prize.Henry James (1843-1916) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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brain box— Someone who is regarded as highly intelligent. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Narasimha Jayanti (2019)In Hindu mythology, this is the day on which Vishnu appeared as the Narasimha, or Man-Lion, to free the world from the demon king, Hiranyakasipu. The king was very annoyed to discover that his own son, Prahlada, was an ardent devotee of Vishnu. Then the king tried to kill Prahlada, but Vishnu appeared in the form of Narsimha and tore the king to pieces. On this day, Hindus fast, meditate, and pray for the spiritual fortitude of Prahlada. Sometimes they demonstrate the depth of their devotion by giving cows, grain, gold, robes, and other goods to the poor and the Brahmans as acts of charity. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: weavenettles - Got their name because people used to weave them into nets. More... pretext - From Latin praetexere, "to disguise," from prae, "in front," and texere, "weave"—as something serving to conceal plans. More... texture - Once referred to a woven fabric, from Latin texere, "to weave." More... wasp - The insect traces back to an Indo-European root meaning "weave." More... | |