Slocum was a Canadian seaman and adventurer who, in 1898, became the first man to circumnavigate the globe on his own, traveling 46,000 mi (74,000 km) in three years. His account of the voyage, Sailing Alone Around the World, became a classic of travel literature and brought him worldwide fame. In November 1909, he disappeared during another voyage and was declared legally dead 15 years later. What is believed to have happened to him? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Lunar New Year is the most important and the longest of all Chinese festivals, celebrated by Chinese communities throughout the world. Dragon and lion dances are performed, and there are acrobatic demonstrations and much beating of gongs. An ancient custom is giving red packets of money called hung-pao or lai see to children. In most Asian countries, people return to work after the fourth or fifth day of celebration. In Taiwan, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and the two days following are public holidays—government offices and most businesses are closed. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Edward VI succeeded his father, Henry VIII, to the throne at age nine and had a brief but tumultuous reign. War with France broke out in 1549 over the possession of Boulogne. At home, the peasantry grew disgruntled at the enclosure of the common land, Edward’s advisors engaged in ruthless political scheming, and religious inclinations began to shift in favor of Protestantism—the king’s religion. Unrest continued after Edward’s death at age 15 because he had named whom as his successor? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A large leather suitcase that opens into two hinged compartments.
Synonyms: Gladstone.
Usage: With both sides stuffed to capacity, he needed to sit on top of the portmanteau in order to close it.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The days…come and go like muffled and veiled figures sent from a distant friendly party, but they say nothing, and if we do not use the gifts they bring, they carry them as silently away. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The boll weevil is a beetle that feeds on bolls, the seed-bearing capsules of cotton plants. Probably of Mexican or Central American origin, the boll weevil appeared in Texas about 1892, spread to most cotton-growing regions of the US, and eventually became responsible for the destruction of about 8% of the nation’s annual cotton crop. Eradication programs begun in 1978 have proven successful in many states. Why did the citizens of Enterprise, Alabama, erect a monument to the pest in 1919? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Copernicus was a church canon, physician, and economist, but his most important work was in the field of astronomy. He developed the heliocentric theory of the universe that placed the Sun, not the Earth, at the center of our solar system and helped launch a scientific revolution. Though Copernicus conceived his revolutionary model of planetary motion by 1530, his treatise on the subject did not see print until he was on his deathbed in 1543. What heliocentric hypotheses preceded Copernicus’s? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
On February 19, 1942, Japanese bomber and fighter planes conducted a devastating air raid on the town of Darwin, the capital city of Australia’s Northern Territory. As a tribute to honor the dead and those who defended Darwin, an annual commemoration is held in Bicentennial Park by the Cenotaph, a monument to those slain in World War I. At 9:58 AM, the exact time the attack began, a World War II air raid siren sounds. During some observances, Australian regiments will reenact the attack: ground units fire their guns, and fighter planes perform fly-bys over the memorial site. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Battle of Gallipoli took place on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli during World War I. It was initiated by the Allies to open a Black Sea supply route to Russia and capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople. The Allied navy arrived at Gallipoli in February 1915 but did not get sufficient land support for two months, giving the Turkish army ample time to reinforce its troops. After months of fighting, the Allied forces withdrew in January 1916. What had caused the Allied army’s delay? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adverb) With disapproval, suspicion, or distrust.
Synonyms: sidelong.
Usage: I glanced askance at this strange creature, and found him watching me with his queer, restless eyes.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary