Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, November 16, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Present Perfect Continuous TenseThe present perfect continuous tense is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb "have" (or "has," if used with third-person singular pronouns) along with "been" (the past participle of the auxiliary verb "be") and the present participle ("-ing" form) of the "main" verb. Generally, when do we use the present perfect continuous? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 CastratiCastrati were male singers with artificially created soprano or alto voices that were the result of castration in boyhood. Possessing powerful voices of great range and unique sound, castrati were introduced in the 16th century. They were especially popular in churches and operas in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries and even sang in the Sistine Chapel choir until 1903. When was the practice of castrating prepubescent boys for musical purposes outlawed in Italy? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Hoxne Hoard Found in Britain (1992)In 1992, a tenant farmer in the village of Hoxne, England, lost a hammer and asked a friend for help finding it with a metal detector. While searching the field, the friend discovered silver utensils, gold jewelry, and numerous gold and silver coins. Archaeologists notified of the find excavated the site the next day and found what has become known as the Hoxne Hoard—the largest hoard of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain. What objects are among its treasures? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (42 BCE)Tiberius was the second Roman emperor. The stepson of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, he undertook his first military command at age 22 and earned great acclaim. Forced to give up his beloved wife to marry Augustus's daughter, he went into a self-imposed exile until he was recalled by Augustus and named his heir. As emperor, he initially ran the state efficiently and instituted reforms, but he became increasingly brutal. Who smothered Tiberius while he was recovering from an illness in 37 CE? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow firm there, firm as weeds among stones.Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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last burst of fire— A final effort or attempt, especially as before failure or defeat. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Surin Elephant Round-Up (2019)The Elephant Round-Up is an internationally famous show of 200 or more trained elephants held annually in the provincial capital of Surin, Thailand. A tug-of-war is staged where elephants are pitted against Thai soldiers, and there are also log-pulling contests, a soccer game with two teams of elephants kicking a giant soccer ball, elephant basketball, and other sports. A highlight is the spectacular array of elephants rigged out to reenact a medieval war parade. Besides the elephant demonstrations, there are cultural performances and folk dancing. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: selectelegant - Comes from Latin eligere, "select." More... eximious - Means "choice, excellent, select," or "distinguished." More... garble - Originally meant "to sort out" or "to select in a biased way," and was applied to the selection and sorting out of individual passages from a person's writings or any separation of the good from the bad, of a selection of the worst and setting aside the better; it evolved to mean "to jumble, scramble." More... select - From Latin legere, "choose," with the prefix se-, "apart." More... | |