Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, September 5, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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connivance
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Prepositional IdiomsMany prepositions can be used with certain words or phrases to form idioms (expressions that have a unique meaning that cannot be inferred from their constituent parts). Prepositional idioms can function adverbially, adjectivally, or verbally. Where can they appear in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The PhalanxThe phalanx was an ancient formation of infantry in which soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder in rows of eight or 16, forming a solid block that could sweep through the more dispersed ranks of the enemy. First used by the Sumerians and fully developed by the ancient Greeks, the phalanx reached its apex when Philip II and Alexander the Great used the great Macedonian phalanx to conquer all of Greece and the Middle East. Soldiers in their phalanxes were armed with the sarissa, which was what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Treaty of Portsmouth Ends Russo-Japanese War (1905)The Russo-Japanese War—fought over territorial claims in East Asia—was a costly endeavor both monetarily and in terms of lives lost, and both sides soon realized the need for peace. With US President Theodore Roosevelt acting as a mediator, Russian and Japanese representatives met at a US naval base near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The resulting treaty marked the temporary decline of Russian power in East Asia and the emergence of Japan as a regional power. What territory did both agree to cede? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Arthur Koestler (1905)Born in Hungary, Koestler was an influential Communist journalist in Berlin in the 1930s. He was captured by fascist forces while on assignment during the Spanish Civil War and was later held in a concentration camp after the German invasion of France. In 1940, inspired by his break with Communism, he published his most important novel, Darkness at Noon, an examination of the moral dangers of totalitarianism. How did the terminally ill Koestler show his support for voluntary euthanasia? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Thank goodness...I was never sent to school...it would have rubbed off some of the originality.Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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sleep rough— To sleep outside at night, usually because one has no home or shelter. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ginseng Festival (2025)This festival is a celebration of ginseng in Fusong, a county in the Changbai Mountains of China and the largest ginseng grower in the country. The people of Fusong have traditionally celebrated the ginseng harvest, and, in 1987, the government officially set aside three days for both a festival and a trade fair of ginseng products. The festival features performances of yangko, dragon, and lion dances; story-telling parties with a ginseng theme; art and photo exhibits; and a fireworks display. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: mineralsdouse, dowse - Douse first meant "knock, punch, strike" and now means "to extinguish or wet thoroughly"; dowse means to look for water or minerals with a divining rod. More... hard water - That which contains large amounts of minerals. More... mica - Any of a group of minerals that occur in small glittering plates or scales in other rocks. More... micronutrient - One of the vitamins and minerals needed only in small amounts for normal body function. More... | |