Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, June 17, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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leave-taking
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Primary Auxiliary VerbsThe "primary" auxiliary verbs are "be," "have," and "do"—they occur most commonly in English. What is the emphatic "do"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Gila MonsterNamed for the Gila River basin where it once abounded, the Gila monster is one of only two known species of venomous lizard. Found in the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico, it averages 18 in (45 cm) in length, feeds on birds, mammals, and eggs, and uses its thick tail as a food reservoir. Though the Gila monster's neurotoxic venom can be fatal, the lizard moves too slowly to present a serious threat to humans. A synthetic version of one of its salivary proteins may help treat what disease? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Last Dusky Seaside Sparrow Dies in Captivity (1987)Thousands of dusky seaside sparrows once inhabited the natural salt marshes around Merritt Island and the area along the St. Johns River in southern Florida. The non-migratory birds lived exclusively in this small area, and this proved to be their undoing. From the 1940s onward, pesticides, pollution, and habitat loss caused the subspecies' population to decline precipitously. By 1979, just six males remained. Why were the remaining birds eventually relocated to Walt Disney World theme park? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Edward I of England, AKA Edward Longshanks (1239)Edward became king upon the death of his father, Henry III, in 1272 but was not crowned until he returned from a crusade two years later. His 35-year reign was characterized by constant warfare, including long and costly campaigns to conquer Wales and Scotland. It was a struggle to fund these endeavors, and he did so, in part, by exploiting the Jews under his rule. Finally, in 1290, he expelled them from England and seized their property. For how long did his Edict of Expulsion remain in effect? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There are not more than five cardinal tastes (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.Sun Tzu (544 BC-496 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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live in an/(one's) ivory tower— To reside or exist in a place or among a social circle that is characterized by effete academic intelligence and thus is out of touch with or aloof from the realities of life. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bunker Hill Day (2021)Observed primarily in Boston, Massachusetts, Bunker Hill Day commemorates the Revolutionary War battle of June 1775 between 2,200 British troops and half that number of Americans. It was, in fact, Breed's Hill that was fortified, not nearby Bunker Hill, and that is where the British attacked the rebels three times. Although the Americans were driven from their fortification and lost some 450 men, it has always been looked upon as one of the great heroic battles of the Revolution. A 221-foot granite obelisk in Charlestown, north of Boston, marks the site of battle. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: merchandisebale - A package of merchandise. More... avoirdupois weight, Imperial weight - Avoirdupois or Imperial weight is commonly used to measure food, people, and merchandise. More... emporeutic - Means pertaining to merchandise or to trade. More... merchant, merchandise - Merchant and merchandise come from Latin mercari, "to trade." More... | |