Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, July 8, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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orthography
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Dangling PrepositionsDespite what you may have been taught, it’s a myth that ending a sentence or clause with a preposition is an error. Where did this myth originate? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Jhumpa LahiriJhumpa Lahiri is a contemporary Indian-American (Bengali) author. Her debut, Interpreter of Maladies, addresses sensitive dilemmas in the lives of Indian immigrants, exploring themes involving marital difficulties, miscarriages, and the disconnection between first and second generation immigrants in the US. A film adaptation of her novel The Namesake was released in 2007. She has served as a vice president of what important organization? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Vasco da Gama Sets Sail on First Direct European Voyage to India (1497)In 1497, da Gama began his epochal voyage to India, becoming the first European to journey there directly by sea. With four vessels, he rounded the Cape of Good Hope, passed the easternmost point reached by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, continued up the coast of Africa to Malindi, and sailed across the Indian Ocean to Calicut. His voyage opened up a way for Europe to reach the Indies and marked the beginning of the Portuguese Empire. For what brutal methods was da Gama known during his travels? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alfred Binet (1857)A major figure in the development of experimental psychology in France, Binet founded L'Année Psychologique, the first French journal on psychology, in 1895. He is also known for his research and innovations in measuring reasoning ability. Between 1905 and 1911, he and Théodore Simon developed influential scales for the measurement of the intelligence of children, which, with revisions, came into wide use in schools, industries, and the army. How did the scales work? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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fourth wall— The imaginary barrier separating performers in a TV show, film, or play from the audience. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Winnipeg Folk Festival (2015)The largest event of its kind in North America, the Winnipeg Folk Festival is a music festival featuring bluegrass, gospel, jazz, Cajun, swing, Celtic, and other performers from Canada and around the world. There are concerts, jam sessions, a juried handicrafts village, children's performances, and folk dancing. Held at Birds Hill Park, about 19 miles northeast of Winnipeg, the festival was started in 1974 by Mitch Podolak, a veteran in the folk music field. Although it lasts for five days, it also operates on a year-round basis as a folklore and music center. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: vegetablerareripe - Originally simply a fruit or vegetable that ripened early. More... fruit, vegetable - Fruit is the name given to those plants that have an ovary used for food; vegetable is the name given to a large category of herbaceous plants with parts used for food. More... sauerbraten, sauerkraut - In German, sauerbraten is literally "sour roast meat," and sauerkraut is "sour cabbage or vegetable." More... sweet potato, yam - The sweet potatoes and yams sold in most stores are the same vegetable—sweet potatoes are inside every mislabeled yam can; true yams are not sold anywhere except a handful of specialty grocers. More... | |