Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, January 30, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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prosaic
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Declarative Sentences in the Present IndicativeThe present indicative describes things that are happening, are about to happen, or are believed to be happening. In declarative sentences in the present indicative, the present simple tense and present continuous tense describe habits or things occurring in the present or near future. What do the present perfect tense and present perfect continuous tense describe? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 VintageA term used to classify wine, vintage describes the yield of wine or grapes from a vineyard or region during one season and usually identifies a high quality product. In contrast, wine made from the produce of multiple years is deemed non-vintage. Wines of superior vintages often command higher prices than those from average vintages, especially if they are likely to improve with age. Were experts who took part in a recent blind tasting able to distinguish between wines of good and bad vintages? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Anglo-Japanese Alliance Signed in London, England (1902)The First Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed to protect the respective interests of Britain and Japan in China and Korea. Directed against Russian expansionism, the alliance helped Japan by discouraging France from entering the Russo-Japanese War on the Russian side. The alliance later prompted Japan to join the Allies in World War I. Britain allowed the alliance to lapse after the war, when it no longer feared Russian encroachment in China. What were the cultural effects of the alliance? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882)Elected to an unprecedented four presidential terms, Roosevelt guided the US through the Great Depression and World War II. He instituted the New Deal program to promote economic recovery and social reform and, as war spread in Europe, prepared for the possibility that the US would enter the war. When it finally did, he led the nation to the threshold of victory, dying in office less than a month before Germany's surrender to the Allies. What quote about fear is attributed to FDR? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 If Heaven had looked upon riches to be a valuable thing, it would not have given them to such a scoundrel.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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good omen— A sign, either real or imagined, of good fortune or a propitious outcome. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Abdullah's Birthday in Jordan (2023)Since 1999, the year Adbullah II bin al-Hussein succeeded his father, King Hussein, as national monarch, Jordan has celebrated the king's birthday. It is typical on this date for the Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan to publish various well-wishes that arrive from international dignitaries. Before 2007, the country also observed the day as an official national holiday by closing all its banks and stores. However, that year, King Abdullah announced that in order to help "boost productivity and dedication," banks and businesses would remain open on his birthday. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: readinessimpromptu - Based on Latin in promptu, "in readiness," from promptus, "prepared, ready." More... procinct - A state of readiness or preparation. More... stand by - Meaning "to await, support," it was an order to hold one's self in readiness, recorded from 1669. More... gear - Its etymological meaning is "that which puts one in a state of readiness." More... | |