Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, May 21, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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smarmy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Verbs Used to Make an OfferBecause modal auxiliary verbs can be quite similar in how they are used, it is sometimes unclear when it's more appropriate to use one instead of another. For instance, "can," "may," and "shall" can all be used to offer to do something for someone. Which of these verbs is used as a polite suggestion? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 NicotineNicotine, a naturally occurring constituent of tobacco, is the addictive, active ingredient in tobacco smoke. Although nicotine is highly toxic—it is used as an insecticide, fumigant, and vermifuge and in large doses can cause respiratory paralysis and even death in humans—the amount inhaled when smoking a cigarette is relatively small, about 3 mg. Depending on how it is inhaled, nicotine can act as a stimulant or as a tranquilizer. What is a lethal dose of nicotine for humans? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Island of Saint Helena Discovered (1502)The uninhabited island of St. Helena was discovered by Portuguese navigator João da Nova in the eastern South Atlantic, 1,200 mi (1,931 km) west of Africa. It became a port of call for ships sailing between Europe and the East Indies and was annexed by the British East India Company in 1659. Because of the island's remoteness, when the British exiled Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815, he was sent there. It became a British crown colony in 1834. What is its status today? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Elizabeth Fry (1780)Fry was an English prison reformer as well as an advocate of higher nursing standards and the education of working women. From 1813, she worked untiringly to improve the conditions for women in Newgate prison, advocating separation of the sexes, employment, and religious training. Her successful methods at Newgate impressed the government and were tried in other prisons. She also helped the homeless, founding soup kitchens and shelters in London. On what unit of currency is Fry pictured? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A book is a friend whose face is constantly changing. If you read it when you are recovering from an illness, and return to it years after, it is changed surely, with the change in yourself.Andrew Lang (1844-1912) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have (got) (someone) pegged as (something)— To distinctly regard someone as being a certain type of person. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Chile Battle of Iquique Day (Día de las Glorias Navales) (2024)This national holiday in Chile is often called Día de las Glorias Navales ("The Day of the Glorious Navy"). From 1879 to 1881, the Chilean navy fought an alliance of Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific. The Chilean victory in the Battle of Iquique on May 21, 1879, was a turning point in a war that Chile eventually won decisively. The holiday is celebrated throughout Chile with festivals, military parades, and speeches. Sporting events, including boat and bicycle races, are held in honor of the holiday. Many people dress in traditional costumes as a symbol of national pride. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: madnessire, rage, fury - Ire suggests greater intensity than anger, rage suggests loss of self-control, and fury is destructive rage verging on madness. More... mania - Based on a Greek word meaning "madness," ultimately from an Indo-European root for "mind." More... rage - Traces back to Latin rabia, an alteration of rabies, meaning "fury, madness." More... woodness - Madness or insanity, from Old English wood, "out of one's mind." More... | |