Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, May 6, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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dubitable
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Examples of PrepositionsPrepositions are used to express the relationship of a noun or pronoun (or another grammatical element functioning as a noun) to the rest of the sentence. The noun or pronoun that is connected by the preposition is known as the "object of the preposition." What are some common prepositions? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Dream ArgumentWhen people dream, they often are not aware of the fact that the experiences they are having exist only in their minds. It is precisely this phenomenon that has given rise to the dream argument, a philosophical postulation that contends that our senses, on which we rely to distinguish reality from illusion, cannot be fully trusted. Both Plato and Descartes, among other prominent philosophers, expounded on this topic. What successful film trilogy is based on this premise? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Hindenburg Disaster (1937)Launched in 1936 in Germany, the Hindenburg was the largest rigid airship ever constructed and was promoted by the Nazis as a symbol of national pride. It started the first commercial air service across the North Atlantic and made several trips to the Americas. On one such trip, the hydrogen-filled airship violently and unexpectedly exploded in flames and crashed in New Jersey, killing 35 of the 97 people on board. What non-flammable gas was originally supposed to provide the airship's lift? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (1758)Robespierre was one of the leading figures of the French Revolution. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1789 and became an influential orator. After calling for the execution of the king in 1792, he led the Jacobins and the Committee of Public Safety in establishing the Reign of Terror, during which hundreds of thousands of political opponents were arrested and thousands were guillotined. In 1794, he was overthrown and executed. What was his role in the Cult of the Supreme Being? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them.Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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not a moment too soon— At the last possible moment before it is too late; just in the nick of time. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Hidrellez Festival (2021)The Hidrellez Festival is observed in Turkey every May 6. It is marked as the day that two prophets, Hizir and Ilyas, met each other on Earth; the word Hidrellez is a fusing of the two names. The festival is a joyous celebration of the coming of spring. People prepare for Hidrellez by thoroughly cleaning their homes; they also purchase fresh new clothes to wear for the Hidrellez Festival, and prepare special food, such as fresh lamb or lamb's liver. On Hidrellez night, people leave purses and pantries open and put out food bowls, in the belief that Hizir will bring abundance to the homes he visits. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: spongeloofah - Not a sponge but a dried tropical fruit used as a sponge. More... sponge bath - An all-over washing of the body with a sponge or washcloth instead of taking a bath or shower. More... bibulous - First meant "absorbent, like a sponge," and later figuratively meant "addicted to alcohol." More... sponge - From Latin spongia, and Greek sphoggos, "water growth." More... | |