Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, December 2, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Subject PositionsThe subject in a sentence or clause is the person or thing doing, performing, or controlling the action of the verb. The subject most typically occurs at or near the beginning of a clause. What does it precede? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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.jpg) DormancyIn the broadest sense, dormancy is the state in which a living plant organ—such as a seed, bud, tuber, or bulb—fails to exhibit growth, even when environmental conditions are considered favorable. In a stricter context, dormancy is an inhibition of growth internally controlled by factors restricting water and nutrient absorption, gas exchange, cell division, and other metabolic processes necessary for growth. What is the oldest dormant seed that has been germinated into a viable plant? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Chain Reaction Is Demonstrated (1942)Constructed under an abandoned stand of bleachers at the University of Chicago, the world's first artificial nuclear reactor was little more than a pile of uranium and graphite bricks. It was built as part of the Manhattan Project under the supervision of renowned physicist Enrico Fermi. The first successful demonstration lasted 28 minutes and was a milestone in the history of physics. What code phrase did scientists use to convey the reactor's success to government officials? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Otto Dix (1891)A German painter and printmaker, Dix fought in World War I and returned haunted by what he had witnessed. After experimenting with Impressionism and Dada, he arrived at Expressionism and began producing works depicting nightmarish scenes of the horrors of war and the depravities of a decadent society. His antimilitary works aroused the wrath of the Nazi regime and he was dismissed from his academic posts in 1933. On what charges was he arrested in 1939? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The basis of optimism is sheer terror.Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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easier than falling off a log— Extremely easy; very intuitive; requiring little or no skill or effort. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ngondo Festival (2019)For the majority of the Sawa, a coastal ethnic group in Cameroon, guidance comes from the Jengu water spirits. The annual Ngondo Festival is a special occasion for Sawa chiefs to petition these spirits for prophecies and warnings and to communicate those messages to a gathered assembly. The event, which lasts a few weeks, takes place on the banks of the Wouri River in the country's most populous city, Douala. Various cultural activities accompany the discernment process of the festival. Activities preceding the water feast include traditional wrestling competitions, a canoe race, and a Miss Ngondo pageant. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: paddlepaddle - An aquatic animal's flipper can also be called a paddle—as can the foot of a duck or the wing of a penguin. More... patrol - Comes from a French word meaning "paddle about in the mud." More... rudder - First meant "paddle" or "oar." More... float - The boards and paddle of a waterwheel or paddlewheel are the floats. More... | |