Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, September 1, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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uncongenial
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Imperative MoodAlthough we can use the subjunctive mood to express commands or requests, it is becoming less common in modern English. Instead, we usually use the imperative mood to form imperative sentences when we want to issue direct orders, commands, or general instructions. Why is the imperative considered an irrealis mood? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Fairy RingsAlso known as pixie rings, fairy circles, and elf circles, fairy rings are naturally occurring rings or arcs of mushrooms found in forested areas or grasslands. The rings are formed when a spore grows underground and pushes out mycelia—fungal threads—in all directions, eventually producing a ring of mushrooms or a dark circle of grass. In English folklore, fairy rings were said to be caused by elves, fairies, or pixies dancing in a circle. What are some superstitions about fairy rings? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Germany Invades Poland (1939)After staging Polish attacks on German forces to create the appearance of Polish aggression, Germany invaded Poland, beginning WWII. Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later, and all the members of the Commonwealth of Nations, with the exception of Ireland, rapidly followed suit. The German blitzkrieg crushed the Polish defenses. Within a month all of Poland was occupied by German forces as well as the forces of what state with whom Germany had just signed a non-aggression pact? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Rocky Marciano (1923)Marciano turned to professional boxing in 1947, after failing to become a professional baseball player. On his climb to the heavyweight title, he became the second boxer ever to knock out Joe Louis. He won the title in 1952 and defended it 6 times before retiring. The only heavyweight champion with a perfect professional record, he was undefeated in 49 fights—43 won by knockout. A test of the force of his punch found that it carried enough energy to lift how much weight one foot off the ground? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 All truly great art is optimistic. The individual artist is happy in his creative work. The fact that practically all great art is tragic does not in any way change the above thesis.Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a bridge too far— An act or plan whose ambition overreaches its capability, resulting in or potentially leading to difficulty or failure. Taken from the 1974 book A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan, which details the Allies' disastrous attempts to capture German-controlled bridges in the Netherlands during World War II. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Uzbekistan Independence Day (2019)The Republic of Uzbekistan was one of the central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union until 1991, when it and other republics declared their independence from the U.S.S.R. Independence Day, September 1, is celebrated throughout the country with parties, music, and exhibits. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: kickcoup de savate - A kick with the flat of the foot. More... Gaelic football - A rough, football-like game mainly played in Ireland with 15 players to each side with the object of punching, dribbling, or kicking the ball into a goal. More... punt, bunt - Punt, as in "kick," may be from bunt, "push," used in baseball to mean "hit the ball softly." More... kick, punt - The dent in the bottom of a wine or champagne bottle is the kick or punt. More... | |