Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, October 14, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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scintilla
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining DeterminersDeterminers are used to introduce a noun or noun phrase. There are several classes of determiners: articles, demonstrative adjectives, possessive adjectives, interrogative adjectives, distributive determiners, pre-determiners, quantifiers, and numbers. What two things do determiners do? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Ming DynastyThe Ming dynasty ruled over China from 1368-1644. The first Ming emperor, Chu Yüan-chang, had been a Buddhist monk before joining a rebellion, gaining control of it, and overthrowing the Mongol Yüan dynasty. Chu Yüan-chang effectively unified China, setting up a strong centralized government and instituting economic recovery programs. Despite these political modifications, the dynasty never set up a viable tax policy and always struggled financially. What was the purpose of the Jinyiwei? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Theodore Roosevelt Shot in the Chest While Campaigning (1912)During a bid for the presidency in 1912, Roosevelt was shot by saloonkeeper John Schrank. The bullet lodged in his chest after penetrating a steel eyeglass case and a folded copy of the 50-page speech he was carrying in his jacket, but he refused to go to the hospital until after he had delivered his scheduled speech. Doctors deemed it too dangerous to remove the bullet, and it remained in Roosevelt's chest for the rest of his life. What did Roosevelt say about the shooting during his speech? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890)Eisenhower was the 34th president of the US. During WWII, he successfully commanded US forces in the invasions of Sicily and Italy. He was then appointed supreme commander of Allied forces and planned the Normandy Campaign and the war in Europe until the German surrender. After the war, both Democrats and Republicans courted him as a presidential candidate. He was elected as a Republican in landslide elections in 1952 and 1956. What famous warning did he issue in his final presidential address? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Those who do not complain are never pitied.Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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go Galt— To reduce, restrict, or cease one's work or productivity as a means of social protest against increased marginal tax rates, limits on tax deductions, or the use of tax income for purposes one finds morally objectionable. Taken from the name John Galt, a character in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged. Primarily heard in US, South Africa. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Svetitskhovloba (2023)Built in the 11th century, the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is located in the historical town of Mtskheta in Georgia. It is one of the principal worship sites of the Georgian Orthodox faith and has also inspired a major Georgian Orthodox holiday, Svetitskhovloba, which is celebrated two days of the year, July 13 and October 14. Svetitskhovloba pays homage to this cathedral, as well as to the relic that it is believed to hold: the cloak of Christ. Pilgrims from Georgia and other nearby countries congregate for a mass baptism at the junction of the Aragvi and Kura rivers. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: orbitapsis - The extreme point of an orbit. More... eccentric - First meant "not concentric" as it referred to an orbit in which the Earth was not precisely in the center or straying from a circular path; the area where two circles overlap is the eccentric. More... exorbitant - Originally a legal term for a case outside of the scope of a law; since it implies going "out of orbit," it also first meant "deviating from the true path." More... orbit - First meant "eye socket"; the eye is located in the eye socket or orbit. More... | |