Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, July 11, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using the Present Continuous Tense with AdverbsWhen using the present continuous tense, we can add adverbs relating to time between "be" and the present participle. What do such adverbs serve to specify or clarify? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Yuan ChonghuanA famed military commander of the Ming Dynasty in the final years before it was toppled by the Manchurians, Yuan Chonghuan excelled in the use of artillery and brilliantly incorporated Western tactics into his battles. Despite being vastly outnumbered in the 1626 Battle of Ningyuan, his forces defeated those of Manchurian general Nurhaci. Still, rumors that he had collaborated with the enemy spread after he repelled an attack on Beijing in 1629, and he was executed. Who was behind the rumors? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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.jpg) Skylab Returns to Earth (1979)Five years after it was abandoned in orbit, the US space laboratory Skylab began to fall back toward Earth. The impending re-entry and breakup became an international media event, as it was unclear exactly when or where the debris would land. News organizations went so far as to offer rewards for surviving pieces of the spacecraft. The debris finally crashed to Earth in Western Australia, earning NASA a $400 fine for littering from the Shire of Esperance. When was the fine paid? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Quincy Adams (1767)The son of a US president, Adams accompanied his father on diplomatic missions as a child and began his own political career at 14. A talented ambassador, he became secretary of state under President James Monroe. In 1824, he defeated Andrew Jackson in the presidential race, but he was unpopular in this role and lost to Jackson in the next election. He was then elected to Congress, where he served until his death. An outspoken opponent of slavery, he defended what famous mutineers in 1841? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Friendships begin with liking or gratitude — roots that can be pulled up.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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one card shy of a (full) deck— A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Naadam (2025)This Mongolian festival, sometimes spelled Nadaam, spotlights three major sports events. Its history goes back to the 13th century; today, it is held from July 11-13 in provinces throughout the country. The fairs bring together the nomadic people, who pitch a city of yurts or gers (felt tents). Wrestling is usually the first event, the second sport is archery, and the last of the traditional sporting events is horse racing. When night falls, a bowed stringed instrument called a matouqin is played, and people sit by their yurts talking, dancing, and drinking aromatic butter tea and kumys. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: orbitapsis - The extreme point of an orbit. More... eccentric - First meant "not concentric" as it referred to an orbit in which the Earth was not precisely in the center or straying from a circular path; the area where two circles overlap is the eccentric. More... exorbitant - Originally a legal term for a case outside of the scope of a law; since it implies going "out of orbit," it also first meant "deviating from the true path." More... orbit - First meant "eye socket"; the eye is located in the eye socket or orbit. More... | |