Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, April 2, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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prosody
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining ClausesClauses are groups of words that contain both a subject and a predicate. There are two main types of clauses: independent clauses (which can function independently as sentences) and dependent clauses. What do dependent clauses depend on? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The History of Opium UseThe medicinal properties of opium have been known for millennia, and by 4000 BCE, both Sumerian and European cultures were using it as a narcotic. Early in the 19th century, British merchants began smuggling opium into China, and by 1905, more than a quarter of China's male population was addicted to the drug. The generous use of opium-derived morphine in treating wounded American Civil War soldiers also produced many addicts. How much morphine does one gram of poppy seeds contain? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 CN Tower Becomes World's Tallest Free-Standing Structure (1975)In 1975, the final portion of the antenna atop Canada's CN Tower was set in place, completing the tower and officially making it the tallest free-standing structure on land. At 1,815 ft (553 m) in height, the CN Tower surpassed the previous record holder, Russia's Ostankino Tower, by 43 ft (13 m) but was itself surpassed in 2007 by Dubai's Burj Khalifa. According to a study, the CN Tower is struck by lightning more than any other structure in Toronto. How did ice affect the tower in 2007? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Hans Christian Andersen (1805)Andersen was a Danish writer best known for his many collections of fairy tales, in which he broke with literary tradition and employed the idioms and constructions of spoken language. His stories are imaginative combinations of universal elements from folk legend and include such favorites as "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Emperor's New Clothes." While some reveal an optimistic belief in the ultimate triumph of goodness and beauty, others are deeply pessimistic. What else did Andersen write? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Everything is self-evident.Rene Descartes (1596-1650) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in (one's) heyday— In, at, or during the period of one's greatest success, power, vigor, etc. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Pascua Florida Day (2024)Although no one knows for certain the date on which Ponce de León landed at Florida in 1513, it is widely believed that he first stepped ashore on April 2. He named the land Pascua Florida because it was Eastertime. Pascua is a Spanish word meaning "Easter," and Florida means "flowering" or "full of flowers." The Florida state legislature designated April 2 Florida State Day in 1953. The week ending on April 2 is known as Pascua Florida Week, a time when people are encouraged to attend special programs devoted to the area's discovery and history. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pardouble eagle - Three strokes under par on a single golf hole. Also called an albatross. More... par - Latin, literally "equal, equality." More... double bogey - Two strokes over par. More... birdie - The golf term birdie is a diminutive of bird, "first-rate thing," as it is one stroke under par for a hole. More... | |