Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, November 4, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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pertinacity
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Spelling Conjugated VerbsAs we've seen already, some verbs take "-s" or "-es" to conjugate for third-person singular subjects. How do we know which ending to add? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Sea SnakesInhabiting the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, sea snakes can sometimes be found swarming by the thousands. Oarlike tails help them swim and a specialized lung and valved nostrils allow them to remain submerged for up to eight hours. There are more than 50 species of sea snake, all of which are venomous. Their venom quickly immobilizes small fish and other prey; however, they are not aggressive and rarely attack humans. Almost all sea snakes are ovoviviparous, which means what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Iran Hostage Crisis Begins (1979)In 1979, an Islamic revolutionary government overthrew Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi of Iran. When the exiled shah was admitted to the US for medical treatment, a crowd of about 500 seized the US embassy in Tehran, demanding the shah's extradition. US President Jimmy Carter halted Iranian oil imports and froze Iranian assets, but his diplomatic initiatives proved fruitless, and a US rescue mission failed. Fifty-two hostages were held for 444 days until the end of the crisis in 1981. How did it end? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Guido Reni (1575)Reni was an Italian painter and engraver. He was apprenticed to Flemish painter Denis Calvaert as a boy and by 23 had been commissioned by the government to execute decorative frescoes for the facade of the Palazzo Pubblico. Shortly thereafter, he made the first of his many trips to Rome, where he executed many important commissions, including the celebrated ceiling fresco Aurora. Reni became a rival of what painter, whose style and technique influenced some of his most famous works? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I've never any pity for conceited people, because I think they carry their comfort about with them.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a falling out— A severe quarrel or disagreement, especially one that leads to a temporary or permanent end of a relationship. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Mischief Night (2019)The idea of letting children have a "lawless night" originated in England, and was often celebrated on May Day Eve (April 30) or on Halloween. But in the mid-17th century, when Guy Fawkes Day (November 5) became a national holiday, Guy Fawkes Eve became the most popular night for mischief in England, Australia, and New Zealand, where it is sometimes called Mischievous Night or Danger Night. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: proveprobe, prove, probable - Latin probare, "approve, prove, test," is the source of English probe and prove. From that came Latin probabilis, "provable," which became English probable. More... sooth, soothsayer, soothe - Sooth, "true, truth," or "that which is," is part of soothsayer; it is related to soothe, which once meant "assent to be true; say yes to," or "to prove or show a fact to be true." More... approve - Its original sense was "prove, demonstrate." More... rebut, refute - To rebut a statement is to offer clear evidence or a reasoned argument against it; to refute a statement is to prove it wrong (neither means "contradict" or "deny"). More... | |