Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, June 4, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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disdainful
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Grading and Non-Grading AdverbsAdverbs of degree can be mild, medium, strong, or absolute in how they describe the intensity, degree, or extent of the word they modify. Adverbs that are mild, medium, or strong are known as "grading adverbs." What are "non-grading adverbs"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Islamic BankingIslamic banking is a system of banking that is consistent with Islamic Sharia law. In particular, it prohibits usury—the collection and payment of interest—and investment in businesses considered unlawful. In the late 20th century, a number of Islamic banks were created to cater to the needs of the Muslim banking market. These institutions rely on the common Islamic concepts of profit sharing, safekeeping, joint venture, and leasing. How are these banks able to operate without charging interest? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Chinese Warlord Zhang Zuolin Is Assassinated (1928)Zhang was a Chinese warlord who became ruler of Manchuria with the tacit support of the Japanese after his militia backed them in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904–05. By the mid-1920s, his Fengtien army had gained power in Beijing, but Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese Nationalists forced him out in 1928, and the Japanese began to doubt his authority over his Chinese countrymen. He was assassinated during his retreat to Shenyang when his train was bombed. Who planted the bomb, and why? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Cogwagee, AKA Thomas Charles Longboat (1887)An Onondaga from the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve near Brantford, Ontario, Longboat made a name for himself as a champion long-distance runner. In 1906, he won his first major event, the Around the Bay Road Race. The next year, he finished the Boston Marathon in record time, shaving minutes off the previous record. He disappointed at the 1908 Olympics but went on to earn the title of Professional Champion of the World in a 1909 marathon. How did he put his talent to use during WWI? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is kindness that makes one strong and brave; and so we are kind to our prisoners.L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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of no account— Of no or very little importance, significance, or worth. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Jefferson Davis's Birthday (Alabama) (2018)The only president of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis was captured and imprisoned after the Civil War but never brought to trial. He went to his grave deprived of the rights of citizenship, and it wasn't until October 17, 1978, that his citizenship was restored, posthumously, by President Jimmy Carter. Davis's memory is honored by many white southerners in the United States, and his birthday is a legal holiday in Alabama. In Mississippi the observance is combined with Memorial Day. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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| In the News | |
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Scientists Try to Unwrap the Secrets of Egyptian Mummy DNAThe Ancient Egyptians were famously fantastic at preserving their dead. But while their mummification methods helped protect soft tissues like skin from the ravages of time, the dry, hot climes that kept the deceased so pristine didn't do their genetic ... More... | |