Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, March 18, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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peachy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Idioms that End with "Up"To determine the meanings of idiomatic phrasal verbs, we must memorize as many combinations as possible. Many idioms end with "up," such as "hang up" and "make up." What are some others? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Umm KulthumKnown as the "Star of the East," Kulthum was one of the Arab world's most famous singers in the 20th century. For decades, her live concerts were broadcast from Cairo on the first Thursday of each month, and while she sang, the Arab world was said to stand still. Her concerts could last several hours and were described as enchanting, highly emotional, and fueled by interaction with the audience. Her funeral was one of the largest gatherings in Egyptian history. How many people were there? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Largest Art Theft in US History (1990)On March 18, 1990, thieves disguised as police officers broke into Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole 13 works of art, including paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Manet, and Degas. The crime, considered the largest art theft in US history, remains unsolved. Due to the strict provisions of Gardner's will, which stipulate that the collection remain unchanged, the paintings' empty frames remain on display in their original locations. What group is suspected of carrying out the heist? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844)Rimsky-Korsakov, a Russian composer noted for his skill in orchestration, completed his first symphony at the age of 21, while serving as a midshipman with the Imperial Russian Navy. In 1871, he became a professor at St. Petersburg Conservatory, and he taught many famous future composers, including Igor Stravinsky. As a member of a group of nationalist composers known as "The Five," Rimsky-Korsakov aimed to write music of distinctively Russian character. What often inspired his work? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Childhood shows the man, as morning shows the day.John Milton (1608-1674) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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creature of habit— One who prefers the comfort and reliability of routine and habitual behavior. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Joseph's Eve (2023)In Valencia, Spain, the feast of the foster-father of Jesus is a week-long festival called Fallas de San Jose (Bonfires of St. Joseph). On St. Joseph's Eve, March 18, fallas—huge floats of intricate scenes made of wood and papier-mâché, satirizing everything from the high cost of living to political personalities—parade through the streets. At midnight on March 19, the celebration ends with the spectacular ceremony known as the crema, when all the fallas are set on fire. The festival is said to reflect the happy and satirical nature of the Valencians. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: streetsbed push - A fundraising event, sometimes run by hospitals, in which a wheeled bed is pushed through the streets to raise awareness of the campaign. More... on the wagon - Before paved roads, horse-drawn water wagons sprayed the streets to settle the dust, and anyone who had sworn abstinence from alcohol was said to have "climbed aboard the water wagon," later shortened to "on the wagon." More... juggernaut - Derived from Sanskrit Jagannamacrtha, "lord of the world," a title of Krishna, worshipped at an annual festival by the dragging of his image through the streets in a heavy chariot. More... one-way - Came into English in 1906 in reference to travel tickets, in 1914 in reference to streets, and in 1940 in reference to windows, mirrors, etc. More... | |