Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, July 2, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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dispirit
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Interrogative Adjectives vs. Interrogative PronounsThe most common mistake regarding interrogative adjectives is confusing them with interrogative pronouns. This is because all three interrogative adjectives ("what," "which," and "whose") can also function as interrogative pronouns. What is an easy way to be sure whether you are dealing with an interrogative adjective or an interrogative pronoun? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 MaslenitsaAlso known as Butter Week, Cheesefare Week, and Pancake Week, Maslenitsa is a Russian folk and religious holiday. Originally a pagan festival celebrating the end of winter, it was later adopted by Orthodox Christians to mark the final week that dairy, eggs, parties, and dancing may be enjoyed before Great Lent. A weeklong pancake party, the festival is presided over by Lady Maslenitsa, a colorful woman made of straw. What happens to her and the leftover pancakes on the festival's last day? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Incident at Xuanwu Gate (626 CE)After Tang Dynasty founder Emperor Gaozu named his son Li Jiancheng the crown prince, an intense rivalry developed between him and his younger brother, Li Shimin. Each prince was advised by his staff members to act first against the other, and, in 626, believing that Li Jiancheng was plotting to kill him, Li Shimin ambushed and killed the crown prince and another brother of theirs at Xuanwu Gate, which led to Emperor Gaozu's palace. What did the emperor do when he learned of his sons' deaths? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Patrice Lumumba (1925)Lumumba was an African nationalist leader and the first elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. The early years of independence were tumultuous, and Lumumba held his position for just weeks before being deposed. He was later executed by firing squad. His death was not officially announced for three weeks, and rumors swirled about US and Belgian involvement. Who had plotted earlier to kill Lumumba with poisoned toothpaste? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 All violence, all that is dreary and repels, is not power, but the absence of power.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have (got) a knack for (something)— To be exceptionally proficient at (doing) something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bahia Independence Day (2023)The consolidation of Brazilian independence in the state of Bahia is remembered each year with a procession following the path that the Brazilians took when they defeated Portuguese troops there in 1823. Folkloric characters like the caboclo, who symbolizes the superiority of native strength over the colonizers, have worked their way into this primarily civic celebration. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: plunge | |