Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 23, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Negative AdverbsNegative adverbs and negative adverbials are used to modify the meaning of a verb, adjective, other adverb, or entire clause in a negative way. What are double negatives? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Lily of the ValleyThe lily of the valley, or Convallaria majalis, lives in shady places and has delicate bell-shaped, fragrant white flowers that grow on a stalk between two shiny leaves. This common garden plant is a symbol of humility in religious paintings. It has also long been used medicinally for cardiac disorders—even though it contains poisonous substances and has been labeled unsafe by the US Food and Drug Administration. The lily of the valley is the national flower of what country? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Tokyo Tower Completed (1958)In the postwar boom of the 1950s, Japan was searching for a monument to symbolize its ascendancy as a global economic powerhouse. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, architects designed the 1,093-foot- (333-meter-) tall Tokyo Tower, the world's tallest self-supporting steel structure. Today, the Tokyo Tower serves as a television and radio communications tower and is also a major tourist attraction. What was the source of about a third of the metal used in the tower's construction? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Yousuf Karsh (1908)Karsh was a Canadian photographer of Armenian descent noted for his portraits of the world's most prominent figures. Born in Turkey, he immigrated to Canada at 16, after losing his sister in the Armenian Genocide. He opened his own studio in the early 1930s and was appointed official portrait photographer of the Canadian government in 1935. His portrait of a scowling and defiant Winston Churchill is said to be the most reproduced photographic portrait in history. What made Churchill so mad? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Each had his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart; and his friends could only read the title.Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hold (one's) water— To be calm or patient; to stop making pressing demands, requests, or solicitations. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Night of the Radishes (2023)Night of the Radishes is a festival dating from the 19th century that combines art, agriculture, and religion. It is held in the zócalo, or main square, in Oaxaca, Mexico. The radishes grow to yam-size here and are each uniquely shaped by growing through the rocky soil. Families harvest these vegetables, and combine and sculpt them into elaborate forms depicting biblical scenes, especially the nativity of Jesus. Historical and Aztec themes are also represented. After the awarding of cash prizes and ribbons, a fireworks display caps the night. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: micemurine - Means "pertaining to mice or rodents." More... muscle - Comes from Latin musculus, "little mouse," as the ancient Romans thought their muscles wriggled like mice. More... mussel - Also gets its name from Latin musculus. More... dormouse - A rodent but not a mouse, it may be a corrupted form of French dormeus, "sleepy." More... | |