Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, July 18, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Past Emphatic TenseWe can form a positive sentence in the past simple tense by using the past emphatic tense. It is formed by using "did" before the main verb, which is in the present tense. The emphatic past tense places special emphasis on what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Pet SkunksThough these animals are best known for the foul-smelling fluid they emit as a defense against predators, skunks are occasionally kept as pets. Their scent glands can be removed, and they can be trained to live indoors with humans, but pet skunks remain relatively rare, due in part to restrictive laws and the complexity of their care. In the 20th century, most US states outlawed the keeping of wild animals in an effort to stem the spread of rabies. Which states still allow domestic skunks? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 La Cantuta Massacre (1992)In 1992, a professor and nine students from Lima's La Cantuta University were abducted by a military death squad, murdered, and secretly buried. The murders occurred during the presidency of Alberto Fujimori and his government's battle against the guerilla terrorist group Shining Path. The massacre contributed to Fujimori's conviction in 2009 on charges of human rights abuses, for which he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. What bombing was used as a justification for the La Cantuta Massacre? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Robert Hooke (1635)Hooke was a prolific English physicist, mathematician, and inventor. He was a geometry professor and the curator of experiments for the Royal Society. An architect as well, he played a major role in the surveying and rebuilding of London after the 1666 fire. Considered the greatest mechanic of his age, he made myriad improvements to astronomical instruments and timepieces. In his pioneering book Micrographia, he described his microscopic observations of plant tissue and coined what term? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Any woman can fool a man if she wants to and if he's in love with her.Agatha Christie (1890-1976) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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the knacker's yard— A state of ruin or failure due to having become useless or obsolete. Refers to a slaughterhouse for old or injured horses. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Uruguay Constitution Oath Taking Day (2024)The country of Uruguay adopted its first constitution on July 18, 1830, shortly after becoming independent in 1828. The 1830 constitution, modeled after the American and French constitutions, created executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Later constitutions checked the powers of the president and provided for a separation of church and state. To commemorate the adoption of Uruguay's first constitution, speeches are given by government officials and a parade featuring a military band, mounted cavalry, and soldiers is held in the capital city of Montevideo. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: hastyhasting, hasty - An early-ripening fruit or vegetable is a hasting and such a food that ripens early is termed "hasty." More... hasty pudding - An ancient dish of flour boiled in water to thick consistency, with milk or beer added afterwards. More... festinate, festination - If something is hasty or hurried, it is festinate, and to festinate is to walk fast, make haste; festination is "haste, speed." More... precipitous, precipitate - Precipitous, "hasty, sudden and dramatic," is used in relation to physical or natural objects; precipitate, "done with great haste," relates to human actions or processes. More... | |