Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, December 23, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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parterre
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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 Steam EngineIn a steam engine, hot steam expands under pressure, and part of the heat energy is converted into work. The idea to harness steam’s power and convert it to mechanical energy dates back 2,000 years to Hero of Alexandria and his aeolipile, but the concept was not successfully applied to the building of a power source until about 1700. Improvements to the steam engine over the next century allowed it to play a major role in the Industrial Revolution. Why is there renewed interest in steam power? 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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 Madam C.J. Walker (1867)Thought to be America's first black female millionaire, this daughter of ex-slaves was orphaned at 7, working at 10, married at 14, and a widow with an infant at 20. She worked as a domestic and laundress and in her scant spare time developed a treatment system to stop hair loss in African-American women and create smooth, shiny coiffures. She soon expanded her product line, and by 1917, her cosmetics empire was the largest black-owned business in the US. What did she do with her riches? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The evolution of man is slow. The injustice of men is great.Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) | |
| 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: soldierbombardier - First denoted a soldier in charge of a bombard, an early form of cannon. More... functional shift - The process by which words change parts of speech without the addition of a prefix or suffix, as in soldier on, the verb, being created from soldier, the noun. More... guerrilla, gorilla - Guerrilla is from a Spanish diminutive of guerra, "war," and refers to a soldier of an independent armed resistance force; gorilla is the ape. More... | |