Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, October 26, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Statements of UncertaintyWe often use declarative sentences as an indirect way of asking a question about something that we're not certain about, expressing what we wish to know as a declarative, factual statement. How should such sentences be punctuated? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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| This Day in History | |
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 Erie Canal Opens (1825)The Erie Canal is a New York waterway that runs between Albany and Buffalo, linking the Hudson River with Lake Erie. It was born out of the need for an all-American water route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast that became evident after the American Revolution. The canal contributed greatly to the development of New York City and the Midwest, allowing for the transport of people and supplies. Commercial traffic on the canal has since dwindled, and it is now used mainly for what purpose? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 François Mitterrand (1916)Initially a supporter of the Vichy government during World War II, Mitterrand joined the Resistance in 1943. After the war, he held cabinet posts in 11 Fourth Republic governments. He ran unsuccessfully against Charles de Gaulle's government in 1965 but was elected president in 1981 and 1988, after which he strongly promoted European integration. Mitterrand retired in 1995, having served longer than any other French president. Who succeeded him as president of France? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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| Idiom of the Day | |
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in favor (with someone)— Highly regarded (by someone); widely accepted or enjoyed (by someone). Primarily heard in US. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Angam Day (2018)Nauru is an island in the Pacific, about 2,200 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia, and 2,400 miles southwest of Honolulu. Over the past 100 years, the existence of Nauruans has been threatened a number of times—by tribal disputes in the 1870s, and by an influenza epidemic in 1919. During World War II, two-thirds were deported by the Japanese to the Caroline Islands to build airstrips. Angam Day (angam means "hope") on October 26 commemorates the various occasions when the Nauruan population has reached 1,500, considered the minimum number necessary for survival. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: scorehopscotch - A game in which one must "hop" over the lines scratched in the ground; scotch means "scratched" or "to score." It was once called hop-score. More... Apgar score - A measure of a baby's wellbeing that takes into account respiratory effort, skin color, heart rate, muscle tone, and sense of smell—named for American anesthetist Virginia Apgar. More... earned run - In baseball, a run scored without the aid of errors by the opposing team's fielders. More... points in the paint - Refers to basketball points scored from within the free-throw lane. More... | |