Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 30, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unmindful
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Examples of PrepositionsPrepositions are used to express the relationship of a noun or pronoun (or another grammatical element functioning as a noun) to the rest of the sentence. The noun or pronoun that is connected by the preposition is known as the "object of the preposition." What are some common prepositions? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 TaklamakanOne of the largest sandy deserts in the world, the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China is approximately 600 miles (965 km) across, with an area of 105,000 square miles (272,000 sq km). It is crossed at its northern and southern edges by two branches of the Silk Road, whose travelers sought to avoid the arid wasteland. Archeological digs in the Taklamakan's sand cover, which is 1,000 feet (300 m) thick in some places, have revealed what 4,000-year-old discoveries? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Botswana Gains Independence from Britain (1966)The 1867 discovery of gold in Botswana excited interest from several European powers. In 1885, the British created the Bechuanaland Protectorate there as a defense against the Boers. Although this spawned no nationalist movement, Britain granted it internal self-government in 1965 and full independence as Botswana the next year. Seretse Khama became its first president. Botswana's economy has developed rapidly since independence. Why is a member of the main tribe of Botswana called a Motswana? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Elie Wiesel (1928)Wiesel is a Romanian-American Jewish author, lecturer, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. As a teen, he was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps—Auschwitz and later Buchenwald—where his family perished. After the war, he became a journalist and later settled in the US. His extensive works, including his most famous novel, Night, focus on keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. Yet, for years after the war, Wiesel refused to write about his experiences. What changed his mind? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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the idiot box— slang A television set, or television in general. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Botswana Independence Day (2020)Botswana became independent from Great Britain on September 30, 1966. Since 1885, the region had been a British colony called the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The biggest Independence Day festivities are held in the capital city of Gaborone, and include the singing of the national anthem, "Fatshe La Rona" (Blessed Country). More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: meltingfondue - Comes from French fondre, "to melt." More... relent, resolve - Relent and resolve originally meant "melt, dissolve" in literal (under the influence of heat) and figurative senses. More... eliquate - To melt or liquefy. More... clarify - To make clear by removing impurities or solid matter, as by heating gently; to purify butter by melting. More... | |