Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 11, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Phrasal VerbsPhrasal verbs are verb phrases that have idiomatic meanings—that is, their meaning is not obvious from the individual words that make up the phrase. What parts of speech typically make up a phrasal verb? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 UltrarunningCompleting a traditional marathon means running a staggering 26.2 mi (42 km), but each year, more than 70,000 runners worldwide tackle an even greater challenge—the ultramarathon. Ultramarathons are races that require competitors to run hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles, often while facing severe conditions like inclement weather, changes in elevation, or rugged terrain. Events can last mere hours or span several days. What extreme location hosts "The Last Desert," a 155.3 mi (250 km) race? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Chad Declares Its Independence (1960)In 1910, France made Chad a part of French Equatorial Africa. Thirty-six years later, it was made an overseas territory and granted its own territorial legislature. Chad gained autonomy within the French Community during the French constitutional referendum of 1958 and full independence in 1960. The decades of civil war that followed have resulted in political instability and poor economic development. Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands of refugees from what country have sought refuge in Chad? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Enid Blyton (1897)Blyton was a British schoolteacher who began writing in her spare time and went on to become one of the most successful children's storytellers of the 20th century. She published her first book in 1922 and, over the next 40 years, produced several hundred children's books and numerous magazine articles. She is best known for several book series, including those featuring Noddy, the Famous Five, and the Secret Seven. Why did BBC radio ban dramatizations of Blyton's books in the mid-20th century? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 But there, everything has its drawbacks, as the man said when his mother-in-law died, and they came down upon him for the funeral expenses.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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go at it hammer and tongs— To do something or perform some task with tremendous fervor, determination, energy, or forcefulness. An allusion to the force with which a blacksmith strikes metal using a hammer and tongs. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of St. Clare of Assisi (2023)There were a number of women who joined the Second Order of St. Francis, but the first and most famous was St. Clare (c. 1194-1253). She was joined 16 days later by her sister, Agnes; other women, referred to as the Poor Ladies, were eventually drawn to the hard life that Clare had chosen, and the religious order that she and Francis founded is known today as the Poor Clares. Clare died in 1253 and was canonized on August 12, 1255. Her feast day was eventually moved to August 11, the date of her death according to the revised Roman Catholic calendar. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wombgestation - Literally the period during which unborn young are "carried" inside the womb—from Latin gerere, "carry" or "conduct." More... lightening - A drop in the level of the womb during the last weeks of pregnancy, as the head of the fetus engages in the pelvis. More... matrix - From Latin, meaning "breeding female," it originally was used for the uterus or womb, then for a supporting or enclosing structure. More... | |