Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, February 15, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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enliven
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Aspects of the Present TenseWe use different aspects with verbs in the present tense to describe exactly how an event is structured in relation to the present moment in time. What is the present simple structure used to express? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 It's Raining Cats and Dogs!Although it is a rare phenomenon, the occurrence of animals "raining" from the sky has been reported many times throughout history. One hypothesis often proposed to explain this phenomenon is that strong winds traveling over bodies of water sometimes pick up aquatic animals, such as fish or frogs, and carry them for up to several miles, finally depositing them on land. However, this phenomenon has never been witnessed or scientifically tested. What are some other possible explanations? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Decimal Day (1971)Financial calculations using the old currency of the UK were complicated, as one pound was made up of 240 pence or 20 shillings, a shilling was equal to 12 pence, and the half-crown was worth two shillings and sixpence. After considering decimalization for over a century, Parliament passed the Decimal Currency Act in 1969. The pound was to be divided into 100 "new pence," and a massive publicity campaign was launched in the weeks leading up to Decimal Day. How did people react to the change? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Susan Brownell Anthony (1820)Anthony was a pioneer in the US women's suffrage movement. The daughter of an abolitionist, she was well-educated and campaigned tirelessly for abolition and suffrage, attempting to secure laws to protect women's rights. In 1869, she and fellow suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association. She helped edit a history of the movement and purchased copies for American and European universities. In 1872, she was arrested for leading a group of women in doing what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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gun it— To accelerate or increase speed suddenly or rapidly; to travel or move very quickly. Usually said while traveling in an automobile. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Gullah Celebration (2020)The Gullah Celebration takes place annually over four weekends in February on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The event showcases the history and heritage of the island's Gullahs, the name for people of African origin inhabiting the islands and coastal areas of the southeastern U.S. Entertainment at the celebration includes storytelling, traditional gospel music, African dance, and popular R&B and jazz. An expo provides demonstrations in such traditional arts and crafts as basket-making, indigo dying techniques, African "long-strip" quilting, and weaving fish nets. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: leisureempty - First meant "at leisure, unoccupied," and it could also mean "unmarried." More... leisure - Based on Latin licere, "be allowed." More... scholastic - Based on Latin scholasticus, "devote one's leisure to learning." More... vacation - Coming from Latin vacation/vacatio, from vacare, "to be free, empty; to be at leisure," around 1395, this term entered Old English, meaning "rest and freedom from any activity." More... | |