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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 George Simon Kaufman (1889)Kaufman was an American dramatist and humorist who co-wrote more than 40 plays, many of which became tremendously successful. His collaboration with Moss Hart produced such plays as Once in a Lifetime and You Can't Take It With You, and he also worked on the Marx Brothers' A Night at the Opera. Kaufman was also an influential drama critic for New York newspapers and was known for his caustic wit. What did he once suggest as a way to avoid crowds during a flu epidemic? 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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pound sand— To engage in pointless, menial efforts or labor. Used especially as an imperative to express disdain, contempt, or dismissal. 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: hirefreelance - Comes from the knights whose lances were free for hire and who were not pledged to one master; originally, a freelance was a free companion or a person free of occupational or political party obligation or allegiance. More... hire - As a noun, it originally meant the payment for the use of something. More... claque - A group of people hired to applaud an act or performer. More... dry lease, wet lease - To rent an aircraft without a crew is a dry lease; a wet lease is to hire an aircraft with a crew. More... | |