Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, November 9, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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scopolamine
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Verbs and TenseA modal verb must always be used with a main verb—they cannot stand completely on their own. But because we cannot use modal verbs with main verbs that are in a past-tense form, the verb that follows a modal must always be in what form? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Serge VoronoffVoronoff was a French surgeon notorious for transplanting glandular tissue from monkeys into humans in the 1920s and 30s in an attempt to slow and reverse the aging process. By the early 1930s, thousands of men around the world had been treated with Voronoff's "rejuvenation" technique, but his popularity waned when it became clear that the procedure did not produce the desired results. What notorious experiment conducted by Voronoff inspired the novel Nora, the Monkey Turned Woman? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Bosnian War: 427-Year-Old Stari Most Destroyed (1993)Arching high above the Neretva River, the Stari Most—or "Old Bridge"—was a 16th-century bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the greatest architectural works of its time. Despite being of little strategic value, it was shelled during wartime by Croat forces. After the war, it was carefully rebuilt as close to its original dimensions as possible. Divers were even brought in to recover materials that had fallen into the river. What dangerous competition is held on the bridge each summer? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (1818)Considered one of the foremost Russian novelists and dramatists, Turgenev became known for his realistic, affectionate portrayals of Russian peasantry as well as for his penetrating studies of the intelligentsia. His works, which include the controversial masterpiece Fathers and Sons, are thought to have influenced the end of serfdom in Russia. His rocky friendship with Leo Tolstoy included a 17-year period during which the men did not speak to each other after Tolstoy did what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I at least have so much to do in unraveling certain human lots, and seeing how they were woven and interwoven, that all the light I can command must be concentrated on this particular web, and not dispersed over that tempting range of relevancies called the universe.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have (one's) heart on (one's) sleeve— To openly display or make known one's emotions or sentiments. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran (2017)This Roman Catholic observance commemorates Pope Sylvester's consecration of the Basilica of the Most Holy Savior, commonly known as St. John Lateran, in Rome on November 9, 324. Churches as they are known today—that is, buildings set apart as places of worship—did not exist for the first two centuries of the Christian era; believers gathered in each other's homes. Thus, the pope's public dedication of this church at the beginning of the fourth century was a first in Christianity and merited a special celebration. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: idlenesshonky-tonk - May come from the New England dialect word honk, "to idle about," and is a rhyming duplication. More... libberwort - Food or drink that makes one idle and stupid, food of no nutritional value, i.e. junk food. More... ignavia, ignavy - Idleness or sloth can be described as ignavia or ignavy. More... | |
| In the News | |
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Beware! This is your brain on sleep deprivation.You know how when you don’t get enough sleep, you feel like you’re moving through the day in a fog, feeling dopey? That’s because you are, a new UCLA study suggests. Indeed, sleep deprivation can actually stop your brain cells from communicating correctly and ... More... | |