Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, November 10, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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VerbsVerbs are used to indicate the actions, processes, conditions, or states of beings of people or things. Verbs constitute the root of the predicate. What is the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Artificial HeartA synthetic heart remains one of the long-sought holy grails of modern medicine. Although the heart is conceptually simple—it is, in essence, a muscle that acts as a pump—it contains subtleties that defy straightforward reproduction. Though artificial hearts have been successfully implanted, they are suitable only as temporary replacements in patients awaiting transplants; no device has yet been developed for total replacement of the heart. What is the longest an artificial heart has been used? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Henry Wirz Executed for War Crimes in American Civil War (1865)In 1864, Wirz, a Confederate officer, became superintendent of Georgia's Andersonville prison, officially known as Camp Sumter. Providing only makeshift shelters, the prison confined tens of thousands of Union soldiers and became notorious for conditions so appalling that 13,000 of them died. Wirz was later convicted of conspiring to murder prisoners and hanged, becoming the only person executed for war crimes committed in the American Civil War. What was Wirz's occupation before the war? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 William Hogarth (1697)Hogarth was a British painter and engraver who began his career as an apprentice to a silversmith at the age of 15. At 22, he opened his own engraving and printing shop. His first successes were satirical engravings that attacked contemporary taste and questioned the art establishment. His efforts to protect artists against art piracy were instrumental in the passage of Britain's first copyright act in 1735. What 20th century composer wrote an opera inspired by Hogarth's Rake's Progress? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Infatuated, half through conceit, half through love of my art, I achieve the impossible working as no one else ever works.Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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good God!— An oath expressing surprise, shock, frustration, anger, or annoyance. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Martin's Eve (2023)Traditionally, children in Estonia go from door to door at dusk on St. Martin's Eve in much the same way that American children trick-or-treat on Halloween. If they are not welcomed into the house and given treats, they retaliate by singing rude and uncomplimentary songs. Usually, they are ushered into the kitchen, where such delicacies as apples, nuts, cookies, and raisin bread are handed out. Turnips are another prized gift, as is viljandi kama, a kind of meal comprised of grains and dried vegetables mixed with sour milk, sugar, and cream that is regarded as a special treat. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: luckhapless, happiness - Hapless means one is lacking hap, "good fortune, luck"; the words happy and happiness also have the root "hap." More... happen - Fairly new to English, from hap, "chance, luck," which was borrowed from Old Norse happ. More... fortune - Latin fors, "chance," formed fortuna, "that which fate brings along," hence fortune, "luck" or "good luck." More... potluck - Comes from the practice of throwing leftovers in a pot—with luck determining how good the stew would taste. More... | |