Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, September 7, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Present Perfect Continuous TenseThe present perfect continuous tense is formed by using a form of the auxiliary verb "have" along with "been" and the present participle of the "main" verb. The present perfect continuous is very close in meaning to how we use the present perfect tense. How do they differ? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Gap YearAfter completing high school or college, more and more students around the world are opting to take a year off to travel before continuing their education or entering the workplace. Known as a gap year, among many other names, the prolonged break—often but not always lasting a year—is usually spent working, learning a language, volunteering, or combining activities into a so-called working holiday. In what countries is the gap year less popular? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Last Captive Thylacine Dies in Hobart Zoo (1936)The thylacine, known also as the Tasmanian wolf and Tasmanian tiger, was a carnivorous marsupial once found on the Australian mainland, New Guinea, and Tasmania. Often cited as an example of convergent evolution, it was superficially similar to a wolf or dog, though it evolved entirely independently of these animals. It was hunted to probable extinction in the 1930s, and the last captive thylacine died in the Hobart Zoo in 1936. How many thylacine sightings have been reported since then? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Buddy Holly (1936)An early rock 'n' roll star, Holly began as a country-and-western singer and gradually added rhythm-and-blues elements to his innovative style. With his band, the Crickets, he established the standard rock instrumentation of two guitars, bass, and drums, and toured the US extensively for two years before his death in a plane crash. He became one of rock's most enduring cult figures and much of his material was released posthumously. Who else died in the plane crash that killed him? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 No man knocks himself down; if his destiny knocks him down, his destiny must pick him up again.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a handle on (something)— To have a firm, clear understanding or determination of something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Toronto International Film Festival (2023)Second in size only to the Cannes Film Festival in France, the Toronto International Film Festival is considered one of the world's most prestigious artistic events; it features some of the year's most anticipated films, attracts leading stars in the movie business, and serves as a networking and educational opportunity for industry professionals. Festival organizers pride themselves on creating a public festival, which means film submissions from all over are accepted and screenings are open to the public as well as to the media and the film industry. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wastewastrel - Pronounced WAYS-trul, it is either a wasteful or worthless person, derived from the verb "waste," from Latin vastus, "desert, waste." More... bratwurst - From German Brat, "meat without waste," and Wurst, "sausage." More... eat your heart out - Goes back as far as Diogenes Laertius, who credited Pythagoras with saying "Do not eat your heart"—meaning "Don't waste your life worrying about something"—2,500 years ago. More... sullage - Waste from household sinks, showers, and baths—but not toilets; it also figuratively means filth or refuse. More... | |