Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 8, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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animus
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Nominal AdjectivesNominal adjectives perform the function of a noun in a sentence. They are preceded by the word "the" and can be the subject or object of a sentence or clause. What are some nominal adjectives that are used to refer to groups of people? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Pacific Ring of FireThe Pacific Ring of Fire, also known as the circum-Pacific seismic belt, is a 40,000 km (24,854 mile) horseshoe shaped zone of frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Ninety percent of the world's earthquakes occur in the Ring of Fire, which encircles the basin of the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire is a direct consequence of plate tectonics and the movement and collisions of crustal plates. What causes the high levels of volcanism in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 John Lennon Shot by Mark David Chapman (1980)While returning to his New York hotel with wife Yoko Ono one evening, John Lennon was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman, a delusional and possibly psychotic Beatles fan. Chapman eventually elected not to pursue an insanity defense and instead pled guilty to the murder, receiving a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. He has since been denied parole on several occasions. Rather than flee the scene after shooting Lennon, Chapman hung around and read from what book until police arrived? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832)Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer, editor, and theatre director who won the 1903 Nobel Prize for Literature. He worked to stimulate national pride by linking Norwegian history and legend to modern ideals and sought to revive Norwegian as a literary language. His poem "Yes, We Love This Land Forever" serves as the lyrics of the Norwegian national anthem. Bjørnson is known as one of "the four great ones" of 19th-century Norwegian literature. Who are the other three? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It wasn't until late in life that I discovered how easy it is to say "I don't know."W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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highbrowed— Of or pertaining to heightened intellectualism or superior learning or culture; especially erudite or sophisticated; appealing or suited to highbrows. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Uzbekistan Constitution Day (2023)On December 8, 1992, the new constitution of Uzbekistan was signed, creating a democratic system of government for the newly-independent country. Uzbekistan was created in 1924 by the communist government of the Soviet Union and became an independent nation in 1991. On Constitution Day, the country's president usually broadcasts a message of greeting to the Uzbekistan people, in which he reiterates the democratic ideals of the constitution and outlines what steps the government has taken to ensure that those ideals are carried out. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: seizingacatalepsy - Greek for "not thoroughly seizing" or "incomprehensibility." More... rapine - Means "the act or practice of seizing and taking away by force the property of others." More... ravishing - Can mean "seizing on prey." More... hend, hent - To hend is to seize or take; hent is the act of seizing. More... | |