Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, November 1, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Converting the Active Voice into the Passive VoiceThe passive voice is a type of grammatical voice in which the subject is acted upon by the verb. What must be present for a sentence to be converted from the active voice into the passive voice? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The SistrumThe sistrum is a percussion instrument that functions much like a tambourine. Often made of metal, it consists of a handle and a U-shaped frame run through with thin, loosely set crossbars. The crossbars can have little metal rings or loops on them, and when the sistrum is shaken, the crossbars and loops jangle. The sistrum was used in ancient Sumer, Rome, and Egypt, and some Egyptian goddesses were depicted holding the instrument. What churches still use the sistrum in religious services? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Malbone Street Wreck (1918)One of the deadliest train crashes in US history took place during a strike of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, some of whose members operated elevated trains for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT). To keep service running, the BRT brought in inexperienced motormen to replace the striking workers. That evening, a five-car train derailed in the Malbone Street tunnel after negotiating a curve too quickly, killing 93. How many hours of training had the train's operator received? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887)Lowry was an English painter noted for his bleak northern industrial scenes, often featuring primitive figures that he called "matchstick men." He also appears to hold the record for the most honors declined. He twice declined appointment to the Order of the British Empire—as an officer in 1955 and as a commander in 1961—and turned down a knighthood in 1968 and appointments to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1972 and 1976. Which of his controversial works were exhibited after his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 By indignities men come to dignities.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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over the course of— In or during the process of. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Samhain (2023)This ancient Celtic harvest festival was celebrated at the beginning of winter. According to Celtic folklore, this was the day when the souls of the dead and other supernatural entities gathered and would have access to the human realm—thus giving rise to the fears about ghosts and goblins that we now associate with Halloween, or Samhain Eve. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: punishexecute - Derives from Latin exsequi, "carry out, follow up; punish." More... gruelling - Comes from the verb gruel, "to exhaust, punish." More... punish - Derives from Latin punire, "punish," which came from poena, "penalty, punishment." More... penal, punitive - Penal means "relating to punishment," while punitive means "serving to punish." More... | |