Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, July 13, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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adulterate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Exclamation PointAn exclamation point or exclamation mark ( ! ) is a punctuation mark commonly used to express strong, intense emotions in declarations. What else can it be used to add emphasis to? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Cyanide PoisoningThere are numerous cyanide compounds, and, whether inhaled or ingested, most are deadly. Some occur naturally in almonds and in fruit seeds and pits. Cyanide deprives body tissues of oxygen, and symptoms of poisoning include bitter almond-scented breath, dizziness, convulsions, and collapse. Though antidotes exist, cyanide can kill within minutes, making it a historically notable murder weapon. What might explain why Rasputin survived after eating cyanide-laced cakes and wine? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Live Aid (1985)Live Aid was a multi-venue rock concert held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia that raised about $280 million for famine relief in Africa. The event was organized by musician Bob Geldof, who founded the supergroup Band Aid in 1984 to raise money for the same cause. About 170,000 attended the Live Aid shows, and more than 1.5 billion viewers around the world watched them on TV. Performers included David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and Queen, as well as what groups that reunited for the event? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Harrison Ford (1942)Ford is an American actor who had minor roles on screen and TV before achieving stardom in George Lucas's 1977 hit movie Star Wars. He then took on the role of Indiana Jones and graduated to dramatic films like Blade Runner, Witness, and The Fugitive. His rugged good looks and wry charm made him one of the most popular actors of his day. A noted conservationist, Ford has had a species of spider and a species of ant named for him. How did he get the scar on his chin? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To be blind is not miserable; not to be able to bear blindness, that is miserable.John Milton (1608-1674) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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honey-do list— A list or collection of tasks or jobs one has been requested to perform or undertake, especially household duties or jobs, given to a person by their spouse or romantic partner. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Festival of Ancient Greek Drama (2020)The ancient city of Kourion, on the southwest coast of Cyprus, was buried by volcanic lava in 365. Extensive excavation in recent decades has uncovered a stadium, a basilica and sanctuary of Apollo, and a Roman amphitheater that dates from 50 to 175 CE. Held since 1961, performances during the Ancient Greek Drama Festival are held in the restored amphitheater, which seats 2,400. Both international and Cypriot drama companies participate in the festival, which focuses on the classical Greek dramatists and Shakespeare. There are also moonlight concerts overlooking Episkopi Bay. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: throwingmissile - First an adjective meaning "suitable for throwing." More... precipitate, precipitation - Precipitate is from Latin praecipitare, "to throw or drive headlong"; precipitation first meant the action of falling or throwing down. More... throw - Its original sense was "twist, turn," as in throwing a pot on a potter's wheel; it is not known how it evolved into "hurl, project." More... gone to pot - Comes from Elizabethan times, when leftover meat was thrown into a big pot for another meal. More... | |