Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, July 15, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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paltry
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using the Past Perfect Continuous for Past Durations of TimeWe can use the past perfect continuous tense to describe the duration of continuous past action. The meaning is very similar to the present perfect continuous tense in this way. However, whereas the present perfect continuous describes an action that was happening up until the present moment, the past perfect continuous highlights what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 GegenscheinThe gegenschein is an oval patch of faint light directly opposite the sun in the night sky. It is so faint that it can only be seen in the absence of moonlight and is lost in the light of the Milky Way except in the spring and fall. It is thought to be caused by sunlight reflecting off dust particles in space that may be part of Earth's tail of dust and gas. Danish astronomer Theodor Brorsen published an account of the phenomenon in 1854, about 50 years after it was observed and named by whom? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 John Ball Is Hanged, Drawn, and Quartered (1381)Ball, an English priest and social reformer, gained fame as a roving preacher advocating ecclesiastical poverty and social equality, which brought him into conflict with the archbishop of Canterbury. He was jailed three times and excommunicated in 1376. Four years later, he became one of the instigators of the Peasant's Revolt of 1381—the first great popular rebellion in English history—and was later captured and hanged, drawn, and quartered. His unconventional behavior earned him what nickname? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Inigo Jones (1573)Jones was one of England's first great architects. After studying in Italy, he brought Renaissance architecture to England. His best known buildings are the Queen's House at Greenwich, London, and the Banqueting House at Whitehall, which is often considered his greatest achievement. For his design of Covent Garden, London's first square, Jones is credited with the introduction of town planning in England. Jones was also involved in stage design for theater and is credited with what innovations? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it.Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hard knocks— The real and practical experiences of life, especially those involving hardship or adversity. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Festival of Castor and Pollux (2023)In Greco-Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux were twin gods who helped shipwrecked sailors and received sacrifices for favorable winds. Worshipped as the Dioscuri (from the Greek Dioskouroi, or "sons of Zeus"), their cult was a popular one in 484 BCE, when, according to legend, the twins fought on the side of the Romans in the Battle of Lake Regillus and brought word of their victory to Rome. A temple was built for them in the Forum, and it was here that the annual festival in their honor was celebrated on July 15. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: litter | |