Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, June 6, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cataplasm
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Light VerbsLight verbs (also known as delexical verbs, thin verbs, semantically weak verbs, or empty verbs) are verbs that do not carry unique meaning on their own. What are common examples of light verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Lotus EatersIn Greek mythology, the Lotophagi, or lotus-eaters, were a race of people from an island near North Africa. Lotus fruits and flowers were the dominant plant life on the island and the primary source of food for its inhabitants, a peaceful, apathetic people calmed by the plant's narcotic effects. The Lotophagi have long been a popular literary referent, appearing in such works as Homer's epic the Odyssey, Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lotus-Eaters," and what landmark modernist novel? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Robert Kennedy Dies from Gunshot Wounds (1968)Five years after US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, his younger brother, Senator Robert Kennedy, was shot and killed by a man named Sirhan Sirhan. The shooting took place on the night that Robert won the California Democratic presidential nomination. His body was taken to Arlington National Cemetery by train, and thousands of people gathered by the tracks to pay tribute. He was buried near his brother. In what way was the ceremony the only one of its kind in Arlington's history? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Diego Velázquez (1599)The most celebrated painter of the Spanish school, Velázquez was one of the outstanding artists of the 17th century. His early works were mostly religious or genre scenes. After arriving in Madrid in 1623, he painted a portrait of King Philip IV that won him immediate success and an appointment as court painter. Notable among his portraits is his masterpiece, Las Meninas—The Maids of Honor. Why is there debate about who the true subject of the painting is? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Trying to stop slanderers' tongues is like trying to put gates to the open plain.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be held in high regard— To be regarded with a large amount of respect or admiration. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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.jpg) Swedish Flag Day (2016)Constitution and Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the Swedish constitution on June 6, 1809, and the ascension of Gustavus I to the throne on June 6, 1523. It is observed throughout Sweden with patriotic meetings, parades, and the raising of flags. In Stockholm, the main celebration takes place at the Stadium, where the Swedish national anthem is sung by a chorus of several thousand voices, and the King awards flags to various schools, sports clubs, and other organizations. In the evening, the celebration continues at Skansen, the oldest open-air museum in Europe. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: productivecost-effective - Anything effective and productive in relation to its cost. More... fecund, fecundation - Fecund is another word for "fertile, fruitful, productive"; fecundation is another word for "fertilization, impregnation." More... originary - An adjective meaning "causing existence; productive," or "primitive; primary; original." More... | |