Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, February 20, 2017)Word of the Day | |||||||
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turbid
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Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Negative Declarative SentencesNot all declarative sentences are straightforward statements of positive fact—there are a few variations that express slightly different information, while still remaining declarative in nature. In negative declarative sentences (or simply "negative sentences"), what two words can be used to make information negative? More... |
Article of the Day | |
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Breaking the IceAn icebreaker is a ship specially designed to force its way through ice-covered waters. Whether powered by gas turbines, diesel-electric power, or nuclear energy, icebreakers are expensive to build, very expensive to run, and uncomfortable to travel in on the open sea because they roll easily. Nevertheless, icebreakers are needed to keep trade routes open where there exist seasonal or permanent ice conditions. What three features must a ship possess in order to be considered an icebreaker? More... |
This Day in History | |
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Edward VI Crowned King of England (1547)Edward VI succeeded his father, Henry VIII, to the throne at age nine and had a brief but tumultuous reign. War with France broke out in 1549 over the possession of Boulogne. At home, the peasantry grew disgruntled at the enclosure of the common land, Edward's advisors engaged in ruthless political scheming, and religious inclinations began to shift in favor of Protestantism—the king's religion. Unrest continued after Edward's death at age 15 because he had named whom as his successor? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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Joshua Slocum (1844)Slocum was a Canadian seaman and adventurer who, in 1898, became the first man to circumnavigate the globe on his own, traveling 46,000 mi (74,000 km) in three years. His account of the voyage, Sailing Alone Around the World, became a classic of travel literature and brought him worldwide fame. In November 1909, he disappeared during another voyage and was declared legally dead 15 years later. What is believed to have happened to him? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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Too much work and too much energy kill a man just as effectively as too much assorted vice or too much drink. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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bring a knife to a gunfight— To come poorly prepared or equipped for some task, goal, competition, or confrontation. Often used in the negative as a forewarning or piece of advice. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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Black History Month (2023)Black History Month grew out of Negro History Week, which was established in February 1926 by African-American historian Carter G. Woodson, who founded the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History. Initially designed to encompass the birthday of the abolitionist orator Frederick Douglass on February 14 as well as Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, it was expanded in 1976 to a month-long observance. The event is widely observed by schools, churches, libraries, clubs, and organizations wishing to draw attention to the contributions of African Americans. More... |
Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: punchpunch buggy - A game in which the first player to call "punch buggy!" on sighting a Volkswagen Beetle gets to punch the other person. More... doust - A firm blow or punch. More... pack a punch, pack it in - Pack a punch is of U.S. origin from the 1920s, as is pack it in. More... punch - Has an obscure origin, but stories include it being from Sanskrit panca, "five/five kinds of," as the drink had five ingredients. More... |