Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, May 4, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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macerate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Relative AdverbsRelative adverbs, like relative pronouns, introduce relative clauses (also called adjective clauses) that modify a noun or a noun phrase. How do relative adverbs differ from relative pronouns? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 How Does Dry Cleaning Work?Dry cleaning is the process of cleaning fabrics without water. Special solvents and soaps are used so as not to harm fabrics. The practice began in France in the middle of the 19th century, after a dye-works owner noticed that his tablecloth became cleaner after his maid spilled kerosene on it. Early solvents were extremely flammable and led to many fires and explosions. Newer chlorinated hydrocarbon synthetic solvents, such as perchlorethylene, are nonflammable but pose what other dangers? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The May Fourth Movement (1919)The May Fourth Movement was the first mass movement in modern Chinese history. It began with about 5,000 university students in Beijing protesting the Versailles Conference's decision to transfer former German concessions in China to Japan. Demonstrations and strikes spread, and a nationwide boycott of Japanese goods followed. The movement began a patriotic outburst of new urban intellectuals against foreign imperialists and warlords and is often cited as the seminal event that led to what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Horace Mann (1796)Mann overcame limited early education to enter law and politics. He became secretary of Massachusetts' new board of education in 1837, at a time when the public school system was in poor condition. In his 12 years there, he established high schools, enhanced teacher training and pay, curbed child labor, and improved facilities and equipment. He fought for free, nonsectarian, universal schooling, greatly advancing education in the US. What quote is engraved on his monument at Antioch College? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It was not that she was out of temper, but that the world was not equal to the demands of her fine organism.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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chance of a lifetime— An extremely important and/or fortuitous opportunity, especially one that is not likely to ever present itself again. Often (but not always) used hyperbolically. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Greenery Day (2015)This day formerly observed the birthday of Emperor Hirohito of Japan (1901-1989), who was the world's longest ruling monarch. Today this day is celebrated as Greenery Day (Midori-no-Hi) with parades featuring elaborate floats, paper lanterns, traditional Japanese costumes, and fireworks. People also mark the day by planting trees and with other activities centered around the appreciation of nature. Greenery Day is a part of Golden Week, which also includes Japan Constitution Memorial Day (May 3) and Kodomo-no-Hi (Children's Day, May 5). More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: nourishmentfoster - Comes from the Germanic base for "food" and it originally meant "food, nourishment." More... inanity, inanition - Inanity is intellectual or spiritual emptiness; inanition is the lack of nourishment. More... meat - First meant "food, nourishment"—especially solid food as opposed to drink. More... nourishment - Wine or spirits given medicinally can be called nourishment. More... | |