Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, July 4, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Imperfective AspectAs there is no separate verb form in English for the imperfective aspect, it is expressed through different grammatical structures, which change depending on what we are saying about the temporal structure of the action. We sometimes classify these structures as what two subclasses of the imperfective? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The O'Neill CylinderWhile teaching physics at Princeton University in 1969, Gerard K. O'Neill asked his students to design large, theoretical structures suitable for space. Their proposals led him to publish the first concept for what came to be known as the "O'Neill cylinder" in 1974 in Physics Today and to revisit the idea in his book, The High Frontier. O'Neill's design incorporates areas for human habitation, farming, and manufacturing. What feature allows occupants to experience gravity? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 West Point Opens (1802)Before it was home to young men and women training to be US Army officers, West Point, New York, was the site of a military post. Congress signed legislation establishing the United States Military Academy there in 1802, though it was initially an apprentice school for military engineers. Its curriculum broadened in 1866, and, after World War I, Superintendent Douglas MacArthur pushed for major changes in the physical fitness and athletic programs. What collegiate tradition began at West Point? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807)Garibaldi is considered an Italian national hero for his role in the Risorgimento, the movement to liberate and unify Italy. In 1848, after having spent time in South America learning guerilla warfare tactics, he returned to Italy to fight for its independence. He fought Austria in Milan and France in Rome. In 1860, he raised an army of 1,000 and attacked Sicily. By the end of his campaign, he commanded 30,000 men, with whom he seized Naples, before handing all of southern Italy over to whom? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Hobbes clearly proves that every creatureLives in a state of war by nature. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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jump at the chance (to do something)— To accept or seize with alacrity an opportunity (to do something). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Esplanade Concerts (2020)Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979), a violinist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, started this outdoor concert series on July 4, 1929. Held at the Hatch Memorial Shell since 1940, the concerts are free, and it is not uncommon for hundreds of thousands to gather on the grassy riverbank or listen to the concerts from boats moored in the Charles River lagoon for the Fourth of July holiday. A musically synchronized fireworks display follows the concert. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: manuscriptacephalous - A manuscript lacking a beginning could be called acephalous. More... autograph - Comes from Greek, then Latin autographum, meaning "self-written"; it originally meant "author's own manuscript." More... manuscript - Originally an adjective meaning "written by hand"; manuscript can refer to a handwritten piece of music. More... palimpsest - Can describe a manuscript or writing surface that has been reused, erased, or altered while retaining traces of its earlier form—and, by extension, an object, place, or area that reflects its history. More... | |