Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, July 28, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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flunky
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using the Present Perfect ContinuousThe present perfect continuous is often used to talk about something that began happening in the past (anytime "before now") and which is still happening (unfinished) in the present. We usually specify the duration of time involved, especially using which two prepositions? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Giuseppe MazziniMazzini was an Italian patriot, revolutionist, and an outstanding figure of the Risorgimento, the era of nationalism and activism that led to Italy's unification. In his youth, he devoted himself to literary and philosophical studies and later joined the Carbonari, a secret society with political purposes. He was imprisoned, went into exile, and founded Giovine Italia, a secret society that pushed for a united Italian republic. How did Mazzini's contributions factor into the formation of the EU? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Summer Jam at Watkins Glen (1973)Summer Jam at Watkins Glen was a 1973 rock festival that drew more attendees than any pop music festival before it. An estimated 600,000 fans flocked to the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway outside of Watkins Glen, New York, to see performances by The Allman Brothers Band, The Band, and the Grateful Dead. In fact, so many concertgoers arrived early that the bands performed an impromptu concert during their sound checks the day before the festival. Who was the only person to die at the festival? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Beatrix Potter (1866)Potter was an English author and illustrator whose 23 children's books, featuring her delicate drawings and watercolor paintings, are considered classics today. When she was 27, she sent an illustrated story to a sick boy whose mother, Potter's former governess, encouraged her to publish it. This became her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Now one of the best-selling children's books of all time, it was initially rejected by how many publishers? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The good befriend themselves.Sophocles (496 BC-406 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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backslider— One who reverts or relapses into bad habits, unethical or immoral behavior, or criminal activity. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Crom Dubh Sunday (2019)Crom Dubh was an ancient Celtic god believed to live near the town of Cloghane in County Kerry. During the festival of Lughnasadh, people would go up to nearby Mount Brandon to pick berries, then join the festivities in Cloghane at the foot of the mountain. Thereafter Mount Brandon became a Christian pilgrimage site. Today Cloghane hosts a revived Lughnasadh festival over the last weekend in July. In addition to the pilgrimage up Mount Brandon, there are traditional musical and dance performances, poetry readings, sheep-shearing events, boat races, and many other events. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rayshaft - A ray of light. More... radiate - As an adjective, it means having rays or parts coming out of a center, from Latin radius, "ray, spoke." More... radio wave - Travels like rays of light, so it takes its name from Latin radius, "spoke of a wheel; ray of light." More... sol-fa - The sol-fa syllables are doh, ray, mi, fah, sol, lah, te—for the notes of the major musical scale. More... | |