Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, August 8, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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protuberant
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Present Continuous Tense (Progressive)We create the present continuous tense by using the present participle (-ing form) of the verb after the present-tense form of the auxiliary verb "be." What is the most common occurrence of the present continuous tense? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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.jpg) The Montgolfier BrothersAfter discovering that heated air in a lightweight bag would cause the bag to rise, French brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier invented a contraption that would come to be known as the hot-air balloon. In 1783, they held the first public demonstration of their invention and, just months later, the first manned free flight. Before humans were sent up in the balloon, a test flight was made using three animals: a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. Why were these animals chosen? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Great Train Robbery (1963)On the night of August 7, 1963, a postal train left Glasgow with a High Value Package (HVP) coach containing registered mail and a large sum of money. Before dawn the next morning, the driver sighted a red signal and, not knowing that the light had been tampered with, brought the train to a halt as was protocol. Fifteen robbers descended on the train, attacking the train's operators, restraining the postal workers in the HVP coach, and making off with £2.6 million. Were the robbers ever caught? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Matthew Alexander Henson (1866)Orphaned in his youth, Henson went to work on a merchant ship at the age of 12. After nearly a decade at sea, he met American explorer Robert E. Peary and became his valet and assistant for the next 22 years. In 1909, Henson accompanied Peary on the first expedition credited with reaching the North Pole. Though Peary received many honors for this achievement, Henson, an African American, was largely ignored. What did both men leave behind when they returned to mainland America from the Arctic? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly kind companion; and so let all young persons take their choice.William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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the low road— Any method, practice, or course of action that is unethical, unscrupulous, underhanded, or otherwise base or vile. (Most often used in the phrase "take the low road.") More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Eisteddfod (2021)The Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales dates back to the 12th century. Its purpose is to encourage the preservation of Welsh music and literature, and only those who sing or write in Welsh may enter. The annual event opens with the blowing of trumpets, followed by all kinds of musical and literary contests—harp playing, solo and choral singing, dramatic presentations, and poetic composition. The National Eisteddfod is held in northern Wales one year and southern Wales the next. Other Eisteddfodau are held in Welsh communities elsewhere from May to November. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: hintadumbrate - Means "to give a sketchy outline or disclose only in part; hint," and its root is Latin umbra, "shadow." More... allude, refer - To allude is to "mention indirectly, hint at," and to refer is to "mention directly." More... infer, imply - Infer means "to deduce, reason," and imply means "to hint at, suggest." More... inkle, inkling - To inkle is to communicate in an undertone or whisper, to give a hint of something, which gives us inkling. More... | |