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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ParenthesesParentheses are used to separate information that is not necessary to the structure or meaning of the surrounding text. When can parentheses be replaced by em dashes? 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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 Sweden Defeated at the Battle of Poltava (1709)During the Great Northern War, neighboring countries sought to break Swedish supremacy in the Baltic area. Its most famous battle is likely the Battle of Poltava, which occurred after Charles XII of Sweden invaded Ukraine and—lacking reinforcements and seeking a stronghold—laid siege to Poltava. When the battle began, 45,000 Russian troops faced just 14,000 Swedish soldiers. The Russian victory effectively ended Sweden's role as a major power. What did the Russians do with the Swedish prisoners? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Käthe Kollwitz (1867)Kollwitz was a German Expressionist painter, sculptor, and printmaker whose work centered on human suffering. Her initial focus was the plight of the poor, whom she encountered firsthand at her physician husband's clinic in Berlin. After their son died in World War I, however, Kollwitz channeled her depression into a cycle of prints emphasizing a mother's love and a memorial sculpture of grieving parents. Unfortunately, many of Kollwitz's drawings and prints were lost in 1943 when what happened? 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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talk twenty to the dozen— To talk (to someone) very rapidly, hurriedly, and/or energetically. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Caribbean Festival (Feast of Fire) (2022)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: vegetablerareripe - Originally simply a fruit or vegetable that ripened early. More... fruit, vegetable - Fruit is the name given to those plants that have an ovary used for food; vegetable is the name given to a large category of herbaceous plants with parts used for food. More... sauerbraten, sauerkraut - In German, sauerbraten is literally "sour roast meat," and sauerkraut is "sour cabbage or vegetable." More... sweet potato, yam - The sweet potatoes and yams sold in most stores are the same vegetable—sweet potatoes are inside every mislabeled yam can; true yams are not sold anywhere except a handful of specialty grocers. More... | |