Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 27, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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laggard
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)When we tell other people what someone else told us, it is called indirect speech or reported speech. We use reporting verbs to introduce the information that was spoken previously. What are the most common reporting verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Compact DiscsCompact discs (CDs) are optical discs that store digital data. The data is digitally encoded on the disc as a series of microscopic indentations—called "pits"—on an otherwise polished surface. The disc is read by a laser beam, which is either absorbed in the pits or reflected off the non-indented areas, called "lands." After the music CD was introduced in 1982, it quickly surpassed records and cassette tapes as the music storage medium of choice. What album was the first to be released on CD? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Song Dynasty General Yue Fei Is Executed (1142)One of China's greatest generals and patriotic heroes, Yue helped establish a southern foothold for the Song dynasty while preventing the advance of the Juchen, who had taken the former Song capital in the north. However, his attempt to recapture the lost territory was opposed by one of the emperor's counselors, who earned a reputation as a traitor for relinquishing the north to the Juchen and having Yue executed. According to legend, what phrase did Yue's mother tattoo across his back? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Soong Ch'ing-ling (1893)Born to an influential Chinese family, Soong was educated in the US. She returned to China, became prominent in revolutionary politics, and married Sun Yat-sen, a revolutionary 26 years her senior now known as the father of modern China. She and her sisters—along with their husbands, including Chiang Kai-shek—became some of the most significant political figures in the Communist government, with Soong becoming vice chair after Sun's death. What magazine, still in publication, did she found? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Have you ever noticed that there are people who do things which are most indelicate, and yet at the same time—beautiful?E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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look on the sunny side (of life/things)— To view one's life, situation, or circumstances with a generally optimistic and cheerful attitude; to focus on what is positive in life. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Gasparilla Pirate Festival (2018)A 164-foot reproduction pirate ship sails up Florida's Tampa Bay, and about 500 costumed pirates lower themselves over the side and "capture" the city of Tampa, raising the pirate flag over city hall. Thus begins the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, one of the nation's largest and best-attended celebrations. The mock invasion is followed by a three-hour victory parade featuring members of a men's club known as Ye Mystic Krewe. The festival is named for José Gaspar, an 18th-century Spanish pirate who terrorized the Florida coast from around 1783 until his death in 1821. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: notchcrenelation, crenelle - A crenelation (from Latin crena, "notch") is a series of indentations or loopholes around the top of a castle, battlement, or wall—with each indentation being a crenelle (or crenel). More... carf, kerf - A cut or notch in timber is a carf or kerf—which are also used to describe the width of such a cut. More... dent - As in "notch," it comes from the French word for tooth; its original meaning was "blow, stroke" in general. More... score - First a notch used to keep count, as on a stick. More... | |
| In the News | |
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 Officials May Ban Chocolate Bait after Bear OverdoseNew Hampshire wildlife officials are considering proposing a ban on chocolate as bear bait after four black bears were found dead last September near a trapping site where nearly 100 pounds (45 kg) of chocolate and doughnuts were left as bait. An autopsy revealed that the bears overdosed on theobromine, a naturally occurring toxic ingredient found in chocolate. Bears are especially drawn to sweets when building up their fat stores for hibernation. The proposal may call for an outright ban on chocolate as bait, or it may recommend a limit on its use. More... | |