Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, November 7, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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orthogonal
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Verbs that Indicate AbilityBecause modal auxiliary verbs can be quite similar in how they are used, it is sometimes unclear when it's more appropriate to use one instead of another. For instance, "can" and "could" can both be used to indicate physical, mental, or functional ability in doing something. What is the difference between "can" and "could"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Yangtze RiverKnown in China as Chang Jiang, the Yangtze is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world. Originating in a mountain glacier on the eastern part of the Tibetan plateau, the river flows eastward and meets up with the East China Sea at Shanghai. Heavily traveled and highly polluted, the Yangtze is home to at least two endangered species: the Chinese Alligator and the Chinese Paddlefish. What animal was reportedly seen in the river after its species was declared extinct in 2006? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Basketball Star Earvin "Magic" Johnson Announces He Has HIV (1991)Johnson had been a basketball star for more than a decade when he announced, at a press conference, that he had tested positive for HIV and would retire. He vowed to battle the disease, while confirming that neither his pregnant wife nor their unborn child was infected. As a popular athlete, Johnson helped combat the stigma of HIV, which was then predominantly associated with disproportionately affected groups such as drug addicts and homosexuals. Did Johnson ever return to basketball? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Lise Meitner (1878)An eminent Austrian physicist, Meitner fled Nazi Germany for Sweden in 1938. There, she formulated the concept of nuclear fission and proposed the term for the process. Though the Nobel Prize for the discovery went to physicist Otto Hahn, the element meitnerium was named in her honor. She was critical of scientists who remained in Germany during the Nazi era yet staunchly refused to participate in the atomic bomb research that resulted from her work. Why did Hahn once give her a diamond ring? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Although men are accused for not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps as few know their own strength. It is in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold, which the owner knows not of.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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take the weight off (one's) feet— To lie or (especially) sit down, generally after being upright for a long period of time. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 American Indian Heritage Month (2025)The first general American Indian Day was observed on the second Saturday in May 1916, but since 1995, the month of November has been observed as American Indian Heritage Month. Although the largest Native American populations can be found in Oklahoma, Arizona, California, New Mexico, and North Carolina, many other states have come up with ways to draw attention to their unique contribution to American culture. Most celebrations focus on educational and promotional events, displays of Native American art and dance, and agricultural fairs. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: moundcauseway - A raised path, road, or way across a wet place or stretch of water—based on causey, "a mound, embankment, or dam to retain water." More... tumulus, barrow - A tumulus is the mound of earth placed over a tomb, synonymous with barrow. More... hill of beans - Refers to the planting practice of placing the seeds in clumps in a little mound (hill) of soil. More... | |