Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, April 27, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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upstart
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Adverbial PhrasesAn adverbial phrase is a group of words that functions as an adverb in a sentence. That is, it modifies a verb, adjective, adverb, clause, or the sentence as a whole. "Very quickly" is an adverbial phrase. What are some others? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Bat BombsDuring WWII, a dentist named Lytle Adams proposed a new method of aerial attack to the US military: the bat bomb. The plan called for containers filled with hundreds of bats fitted with small incendiary devices to be dropped over Japanese cities at dawn, a time when the nocturnal creatures would be inclined to find somewhere to roost. Shortly thereafter, the timed devices would detonate, creating widespread fires and chaos. How was his proposal received by government and military officials? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Sierra Leone Granted Independence from the UK (1961)The capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown, was founded on the coast of West Africa by British abolitionists in 1787 as a haven for freed and runaway slaves. It became a British colony in 1808, and the region became a British protectorate in 1896. It achieved independence in 1961 and became a republic 10 years later, but with independence came a series of military coups. An 11-year civil war marked by horrific atrocities further devastated the country and ended in 2002. What has occurred since then? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ulysses S. Grant (1822)Though he served with bravery in the Mexican-American War, Grant resigned his post several years later, possibly due to his heavy drinking. However, he returned to serve in the US Civil War and won a string of brilliant victories. Three years after Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to him, ending the war, Grant was elected president. Still, he spent his final years in poverty after being swindled by a friend. Days before his death, he did what to secure his family's finances? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Nothing exists; all is a dream. God—man—the world—the sun, the moon, the wilderness of stars—a dream, all a dream; they have no existence. Nothing exists save empty space—and you!...And you are not you—you have no body, no blood, no bones, you are but a thought.Mark Twain (1835-1910) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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no cover— No additional cost for entry or entertainment (called a cover charge), as at a bar, club, or restaurant. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Seville Fair (Feria de Abril) (2023)Over the past century, the Seville Fair, also known as the April Fair, has developed into one of Spain's major spectacles. Originally a market for livestock, the fair with its multi-colored tents, wreaths, and paper lanterns now transforms the city of Seville. The singing, dancing, and drinking go on for a week, and a sense of joyousness pervades the city. The week's activities include a parade of riders and a number of bullfights held in the Plaza de la Maestranza—now considered the "cathedral" of bullfighting. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: stiff | |