Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, June 29, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Zero ConditionalThe zero conditional refers to conditional sentences in which the "if clause" and the main clause both contain conditional verbs that are in the simple present tense. What is the zero conditional used to talk about? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The History of SaffronSpanning cultures, continents, and civilizations, the history of saffron in human cultivation and use reaches back more than 3,000 years. Saffron, a spice derived from the stigmas of saffron crocus plants, has been used as a seasoning, fragrance, dye, and medicine and has remained among the world's costliest substances throughout history. After saffron spread to America in the 18th c, demand grew so much that its price on the Philadelphia commodities exchange matched that of what precious metal? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Sampoong Department Store Collapse (1995)During the construction of what was to be an office building in Seoul, South Korea, owner Lee Joon decided to change course and make it a department store. Contractors who would not comply with his design modifications, which included removing some support columns in favor of escalators, were replaced. By April 1995, cracks were visible in the five-story structure. Two months later, in a span of only 20 seconds, the building collapsed with more than 1,500 people inside. How many of them died? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ludwig August Theodor Beck (1880)A German general, Beck saw the Nazis' rise to power as "the first ray of hope since 1918." However, he soon feared that Germany was not militarily prepared for an attack on Czechoslovakia. He voiced concern to Adolf Hitler directly, and, in 1938, he resigned in protest against the planned attack but was largely ignored. Beck then became a key member of the conspiracy to overthrow Hitler. What happened to Beck after his plan failed to kill Hitler with a bomb on July 20, 1944? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I know that everything beautiful attracts love, but I cannot see how, by reason of being loved, that which is loved for its beauty is bound to love that which loves it.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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good-natured— Of or having a kindly, affable, beneficent, and/or obliging propensity, inclination, or personality. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Seychelles Independence Day (2023)Also known as Republic Day, Seychelles Independence Day is a national holiday that commemorates Seychelles' transition to an independent republic on this day in 1976. It had been a British colony since 1903. Before that, it was a dependency of Mauritius, which was ruled by France. When Seychelles became independent, the people had a three-month-long party. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: hungerfamine, famish - Famine and famish come from Latin fames, "hunger." More... dissatisfied, unsatisfied - Only a person can be dissatisfied, while an abstract thing (such as hunger) can be unsatisfied. More... piece de resistance - The original context for piece de resistance is what one is able to resist by eating the big dish—pangs of hunger. More... | |