Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, April 3, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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doodad
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Forming Comparative AdjectivesComparative adjectives are adjectives that compare differences between the attributes of two nouns. We form comparative adjectives either by adding "-er" to the end of the adjective, or by adding the word "more" (or "less") before the adjective. So how do we know which to choose? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Fan DeathThere is a common belief in South Korea that falling asleep in a closed room with an electric fan running can lead to death. Cases of suspected fan death are sometimes reported by the media, and new fans are equipped with automatic timers as a precaution. Though fan death is technically possible, as the use of a fan can hasten dehydration and thus lead to heat exhaustion, the more popular ideas about how fans might kill people have all been debunked by science. What are some of those theories? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Super Outbreak: 148 Tornadoes in 13 States (1974)The largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, the Super Outbreak occurred on April 3 and 4, 1974. During that time, nearly 150 tornadoes swept across 13 central and eastern US states as well as Ontario, Canada, severely damaging approximately 900 square miles (2,330 sq km) along a total combined path length of 2,600 miles (4,180 km). The outbreak brought more violent tornadoes than had ever been observed, including 23 F4 tornadoes and how many F5s? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jane Goodall (1934)Soon after finishing high school, Goodall fulfilled her childhood ambition of traveling to Africa, where she assisted British anthropologist Louis Leakey, who suggested she study chimpanzees. In 1960, she established a research camp in what is now Tanzania. For decades, she kept meticulous records of chimpanzees' movements, interactions, and social organization. Her observations established that chimpanzees have complex social behaviors and disproved what long-standing beliefs? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is one kind of prison where the man is behind bars, and everything that he desires is outside; and there is another kind where the things are behind the bars, and the man is outside.Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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God is in the detail(s)— Any action or plan one undertakes should be done carefully and pragmatically; attention to small details will ultimately yield the greatest results. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Guinea Second Republic Day (2023)Guinea was ruled by a dictatorship led by Sekou Touré, who ruled the small West African nation for over 25 years (1958-1984). After Touré's death, there was a bloodless coup on April 3, 1984. This ushered in what many Guineans refer to as the Second Republic, led by Lansana Conté. The observation of Second Republic Day is largely orchestrated by the government. In honor of the coup's 24th anniversary in 2008, Conté and Guinean prime minister Lansana Kouyate were guests of honor at a wreath-laying ceremony at a martyrs' memorial located in the center of Conakry, the capital city. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: torchfuneral - Once was a torchlight procession, from Latin funis, "torch"—because funerals of the Romans took place at night by torchlight. More... kindle - The verb is related to Old Norse kyndill, "candle, torch." More... Drummond light - A torch that burns calcium oxide (lime) and gives off intense white light, it was named for Scottish engineer Capt. Thomas Drummond, R.E. (1797-1840), who invented it around 1825. More... torch - From Latin torquere, it first referred to tarred twists of frayed rope. More... | |