Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, February 1, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Nine Reflexive PronounsThe reflexive pronouns are "myself," "ourselves," "yourself," "yourselves," "herself," "himself," "itself," "themselves," and "oneself." The last of these is formed from the gender-neutral indefinite pronoun "one." Is "one" a personal pronoun? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 AuroraNamed for the Roman goddess of dawn, the aurora borealis and aurora australis—also known as the northern and southern lights, respectively—are held among the most magnificent natural phenomena. The luminous nighttime displays of colorful bands that ripple across the sky are most often seen along the edges of the Arctic and Antarctic. They are caused by charged particles from the Sun that become trapped in the Earth's magnetic field and collide with air molecules. Do other planets have auroras? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Chinese Seize Control of Taiwan from Dutch East India Company (1662)In 1624, the Dutch founded forts in southern Taiwan. Two years later, the Spanish occupied the northern part of the island. The Dutch expelled the Spanish in 1641 and assumed control of the entire island but were, in turn, forced to abandon it when Koxinga, a general of the Ming dynasty of China, successfully laid siege to the main Dutch settlement, Fort Zeelandia, and took the island in 1662, establishing an independent kingdom. What happened to the colony's governor, Frederick Coyett? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Langston Hughes (1902)Hughes was an American poet and a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. His writing is largely concerned with depicting African-American life, particularly the experience of the urban African American, and often uses dialect and jazz rhythms. Along with several collections of poetry, Hughes published numerous other works, including several plays, books for children, and novels. While working as a busboy, Hughes launched his literary career by presenting his poems to what poet as he dined? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 How great would be the desire in every admirer of nature to behold, if such were possible, the scenery of another planet!Charles Darwin (1809-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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rue the day (that something happened)— To curse or bitterly regret a point in time (in which something happened or one did something). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Rwanda National Heroes' Day (2024)Rwandans celebrate Heroes' Day on February 1. National celebrations take place starting early in the morning with the laying of wreaths at the Heroes' Cemetery at Remera, Kigali, by the president, officials of the government, and the families of the country's heroes. Wreaths are also laid at Nyange in memory of students who stood against the rebel forces of the Rwandan genocide. The national Heroes' Day celebration at Nyange features songs, dances, and poems praising the virtues and good example of the national heroes. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: modelphantom - A model of a baby used in obstetric demonstration. More... configure - First meant "fashion according to a model." More... pattern - Comes from patron, "something serving as a model." More... Frisbee - Was modeled on pie tins from Mrs. Frisbie's Pies—made by the Frisbie Bakery of Bridgeport, Connecticut—which students began tossing around in the 1920s. More... | |