Today's Highlights
| Word of the Day | |||||||
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good-humored
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Semi-Modal Auxiliary VerbsSemi-modal auxiliary verbs are verbs that sometimes behave like modal auxiliary verbs. Like the "proper" modal verbs, they are used with the base form of verbs (the infinitive without "to") to create a unique meaning. What is the complete list of semi-modal verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 RadiolariansRadiolarians are a highly diverse group of marine protozoa widely recognized for their intricately ornate mineral skeletons. Part of the plankton community, radiolarians have a fossil record that extends back to the early Paleozoic era. Because they have undergone continuous evolutionary change, they are often used to analyze the layers of the marine sedimentary record. What German biologist produced exquisite drawings of radiolarians that helped to popularize them among Victorian microscopists? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ötzi the Iceman Is Discovered by German Tourists (1991)In 1991, two hikers discovered a well-preserved corpse trapped in ice near the border between Austria and Italy. It proved to be that of a man who lived about 5,300 years ago—making it the oldest natural mummy ever found. He was nicknamed Ötzi, for the Ötztal Alps where he was found. Also recovered were clothes, shoes, tools, weapons, fire-starting materials, and medicine. Scientists have since determined that Ötzi ate about eight hours before his death. What did he eat, and how did he die? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Lajos Kossuth (1802)Now considered a national hero, Kossuth was a Hungarian revolutionary who favored dissolving the union between the Hungarian and Austrian crowns. The fiery orator was a principal figure of the 1848 Hungarian Revolution. Appointed provisional governor, he soon became virtual dictator. In 1849, Russian armies intervened in favor of Austria, forcing him to resign. He fled to Turkey and later to Italy, where he watched as Hungary reconciled with the Austrian monarchy. What did he do while in exile? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The air of ideas is the only air worth breathing.Edith Wharton (1862-1937) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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slanging match— A bitter argument or dispute in which each side hurls numerous insults, accusations, or verbal abuse at one another. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of San Gennaro (2025)San Gennaro, or St. Januarius, 4th-century bishop of Benevento, is the patron saint of Naples, Italy. He is said to have survived a fiery furnace and a den of wild beasts before being beheaded during the reign of Diocletian. His body was brought to Naples, along with a vial containing some of his blood. The congealed blood, preserved since that time in the Cathedral of San Gennaro, is claimed to liquefy on the anniversary of his death each year—an event that has drawn crowds to Naples since 1389. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: modelphantom - A model of a baby used in obstetric demonstration. More... configure - First meant "fashion according to a model." More... pattern - Comes from patron, "something serving as a model." More... Frisbee - Was modeled on pie tins from Mrs. Frisbie's Pies—made by the Frisbie Bakery of Bridgeport, Connecticut—which students began tossing around in the 1920s. More... | |
| Match Up | |
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| Mismatch | |
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