Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, February 25, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using the Future Continuous for Definite EventsWe can use the future continuous to describe something that will definitely be happening in the future—that is, it is not a prediction or an expectation. Because it is a certainty, what do we often reference in the sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Population BottlenecksCheetahs are basically all the same. Any two randomly selected cheetahs will be so similar genetically that a skin graft from one will likely provoke no immune response in the other. In the distant past, cheetahs underwent a population bottleneck—an evolutionary event in which a species nearly dies out and is repopulated by a few individuals whose genes are then disproportionately reflected in the ensuing generations. All humans can trace their ancestry back to a single woman. When did she live? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Passion of the Christ Is Released in the US (2004)Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, which depicts the last hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, is the highest-grossing R-rated film ever made and was nominated for three Academy Awards. Several Jewish groups have expressed concern that the film blames the death of Jesus on the Jews as a collective group and could encourage anti-Semitism. The movie has also sparked debate about whether its depictions of violence are too graphic. In what languages is the film's dialogue spoken? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841)Renoir's paintings number in the thousands and are notable for their saturated color, vibrant light, and warm sensuality. Early in his career, Renoir developed a close relationship with Claude Monet and became a celebrated artist of the Impressionist style. At times the two painters worked side-by-side, creating several pairs of paintings that depict the same scenes. Though crippled with rheumatoid arthritis in his later life, Renoir continued to paint. How did he manage to do so? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The freedom of the press should be inviolate.John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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clout list— A secret list of people who, through advantageous connections and relationships with people of affluence, authority, or political influence, are given preferential consideration during an admissions or appointments process. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ayyam-i-Ha (2023)Also known as Days of Ha, the Ayyam-i-Ha are intercalary days (extra days inserted in a calendar) in the Baha'i calendar. The calendar is made up of 19 months of 19 days, plus the period of four days added between the 18th and 19th months, which allows for the year to be adjusted to the solar cycle. The days are set aside for rejoicing, hospitality, gift-giving, special acts of charity, and spiritually preparing for the Baha'i fast from March 2-20. The new calendar was inaugurated by Mirza Ali Mohammad, known as the Bab, founder of the Babi religion from which the Baha'i faith emerged. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: providedub - Meaning "to provide a film with a soundtrack," it is an abbreviation of "double." More... endow - First meant "provide a dower or dowry." More... refurbish, refurnish, redecorate, renovate - Refurbish means to "clean up again," refurnish means "to provide with new furnishings," redecorate means "to add new decoration(s)," and renovate means "renew or restore to as-new condition." More... improvise - Etymologically, if you improvise something, it is because it has not been "provided" for in advance, from Latin improvisus, "unforeseen." More... | |