Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, December 28, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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stammer
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Auxiliary Verbs - CanThe modal auxiliary verb "can" is most often used to express a person or thing’s ability to do something. When is "can do" used? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Plasma LampsOriginally invented by Nikola Tesla to study high voltage phenomena, plasma lamps are now widely available novelty items. The lamps, generally gas-filled orbs, contain an electrode that ionizes the gas, producing beams of colored light. Placing one's hand near such an orb alters its high-frequency electric field, causing a single beam to migrate from the electrode to the point of contact. Do plasma lamps have any practical applications? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Endangered Species Act Established in US (1973)Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction and preserve the ecosystems they inhabit, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 prohibits harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, or collecting an "endangered" or "threatened" species and establishes penalties for doing so. A citizen suit clause allows citizens to sue others, even the government, to enforce the law. What species' populations have increased since the act's adoption? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Stan Lee (1922)A giant in the world of comic books, Lee is the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics and the creator of numerous comic book superheroes. With several artist collaborators, Lee co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, and the Incredible Hulk, among many others, and is credited with introducing complex, naturalistic characters into superhero comic books. Lee has made cameo appearances in what films featuring characters that he helped create? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I think you are wrong to want a heart. It makes most people unhappy. If you only knew it, you are in luck not to have a heart.L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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holy crickets— An exclamation of surprise, shock, or astonishment. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Holy Innocents' Day (2023)Also known as Innocents' Day or Childermas, this day commemorates the massacre of all the male children two years and younger in Bethlehem as ordered by King Herod, who hoped that the infant Jesus would be among them. Not surprisingly, this day has long been regarded as unlucky. In ancient times, the "Massacre of the Innocents" was reenacted by whipping the younger members of a family. But over the years, the tables turned, and in some countries it has become a day when children play pranks on their elders. In Mexico, Childermas is the equivalent of April Fools' Day. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: surroundedinvolve - First meant "enfold, surround, wrap." More... enclave, exclave - An enclave is a group or area different from the surroundings, a secured area within another secured area, from Latin clavis, "key"; an exclave is the same thing, but usually describes a portion of a country separated from the main part and surrounded by politically alien territory. More... woebegone - Begone in woebegone means "beset" or "surrounded," so the word means "beset by woe." More... glade - Originally referred to a part of water not frozen over, but surrounded by ice, drawing an analogy to the same word for an opening in the woods. More... | |