Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, May 21, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Subjunctive MoodThe subjunctive mood refers to verbs that are used to describe hypothetical or non-real actions, events, or situations. Verbs do not have different forms to express the subjunctive mood in English. What is done to them to convey the meaning we wish to achieve? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Evangelical CounselsUnlike the Ten Commandments, which Christians see as obligatory ethical guidelines, the evangelical counsels are regarded as voluntary counsels for those who wish to go beyond the minimum stipulated in the biblical commandments. Failure to obey the counsels is therefore not regarded as sinful. Derived from the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, they are often followed by members of religious orders, such as monks and friars. The three evangelical counsels are chastity, obedience, and what else? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 World's Tallest Roller Coaster Opens in New Jersey (2005)Reaching a height of 456 feet (139 m) and with a top speed of 128 mph (206 km/h), the Kingda Ka roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure theme park in Jackson, New Jersey, became the tallest and the fastest roller coaster in the world when it opened in 2005. It took both titles from Cedar Point park's Top Thrill Dragster, which was designed by the same company and is nearly identical. Kingda Ka lost its title as the world's fastest roller coaster in 2010 to what attraction? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Henri Rousseau (1844)Rousseau was an entirely self-taught French painter. He held a minor post as a tax collector in Paris for more than 20 years before retiring to paint at the age of 49. His work remained consistently naive and imaginative and was often ridiculed. It was only after his death that Rousseau gained recognition as an artistic genius. Though he never left France or saw a jungle, he is best known for his paintings of lush, tropical scenes and wild animals. What was his inspiration for the exotic scenes? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 We are so bound together that no man can labor for himself alone. Each blow he strikes in his own behalf helps to mold the universe.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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good for nothing— Entirely without value; of no use whatsoever. (Hyphenated if used as a modifier before a noun.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ascension Day (Portugal) (2020)Also known as Quinta Feira da Espiga, or Ear of Wheat Thursday, Ascension Day in Portugal is associated with wishes for peace and prosperity. Traditionally, in rural communities, people gather olive branches, wheat sheaves, poppies, and daisies and fashion them into bouquets. The olive and wheat are symbolic of an abundant harvest, the poppy represents tranquility, and the daisy stands for money. Many Portuguese preserve a sprig of wheat in their homes as a symbol of prosperity. Another custom is to cull healing plants and herbs to be used later in homemade medicines. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tortoiseshellpad - Another name for a tortoise. More... testudinate - Means "slow-moving; like a turtle," from Latin testudo, "tortoise," and also describes something curved or vaulted like a turtle shell. More... Galapagos Islands - Named for the massive tortoises living there, from Old Spanish galapago, "tortoise." More... turtle, tortoise, terrapin - Turtle is applied to those living in water and tortoise to those that live on land, while terrapins live in fresh water; turtle and tortoise may come from the Latin root tort, with reference to the animals' twisted feet. More... | |