Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, July 8, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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gabby
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Dangling PrepositionsDespite what you may have been taught, it’s a myth that ending a sentence or clause with a preposition is an error. Where did this myth originate? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The RackAn ancient torture device, the rack was used to stretch its victims' joints to the breaking point. A prisoner's hands and feet would be fastened to rollers located at either end of the device's rectangular frame, and during interrogations, a ratchet would gradually increase the tension on the chains. The excruciating torture inspired such terrible fear that some prisoners would confess after merely watching someone else being stretched on the rack. Who were some of the device's famous victims? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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.svg.png) Dow Jones Averages Reaches Its Lowest Point of the Great Depression (1932)The Dow Jones Industrial Average, often referred to as the Dow, is the best-known and most widely followed market indicator in the world. Tracking the performance of 30 blue-chip US stocks—which sometimes change—the Dow is thought to reflect the overall condition of the US economy. In 1932, the Dow reached its lowest point of the Great Depression, closing at 41.22—down almost 90 percent since 1929. It did not return to pre-1929 levels until 1954. When did the Dow reach its all-time high? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Davison Rockefeller (1839)After two years of high school, Rockefeller—the man destined to become, by some estimates, the richest person in history—got a job as a bookkeeper. A few years later, he formed a food handling firm that prospered in the American Civil War. In 1863, he entered the brand new oil business, and within 15 years, his company dominated the American petroleum industry. A noted philanthropist, he donated $550 million during his lifetime. It has been said that Rockefeller had what two ambitions in life? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There are some experiences in life which should not be demanded twice from any man, and one of them is listening to the Brahms Requiem.George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hold the ring— To monitor or control a conflict or dispute, especially in a neutral or uninvolved manner. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Caribbean Festival (Feast of Fire) (2020)The annual Caribbean Festival in Santiago de Cuba, also known as the Feast of Fire, is dedicated to preserving and promoting the cultural traditions of the Caribbean. In addition to numerous performances of music and dancing, there are exhibitions of culinary arts, painting, crafts, drama, religious rituals, and poetry. Each year the festival gives special focus to one of the Caribbean countries. The "Serpent Parade" is a high point of the Festival, with throngs of dancing people winding their way through the streets of Santiago de Cuba. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: plowacre - Old English aecer, now acre, was originally the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in a day; the Old English word came from Latin ager, "fertile field," and became acre, which first meant any field. More... plow - Borrowed from Old Norse plogr. More... | |