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One of the most memorable scenes of the 1993 version of Jurassic Park comes when bumbling scientist Wayne Nedry encounters a rogue Dilophosaurus while trying to escape the park.

Nedry is trying to free his car from some mud when he happens upon the Dilophosaurus. Initially, Nedry isn’t phased by the dinosaur, which looks too tiny to be a threat. Just when he thinks he’s safe, however, the Dilophosaurus spits poison in his face — ultimately leading to Nedry’s demise.

The scene from Jurassic Park is entertaining, sure, but factually accurate? Not so much. In this article, we break the truth about the Dilophosaurus: what it was, how it lived and how it’s portrayed in pop culture.

Praying mantises are one of the world’s most fascinating insects. Not only do they look interesting, with their unique forelegs tucked up under their heads as if they’re praying, but they’re also known for a pretty creepy reproductive trait—sexual cannibalism.

In this article, we’ll be sharing some of the most interesting praying mantis facts, as well as their life cycle, their macabre mating habits, and whether or not these little predators pose any danger to humans.

Everybody loves looking like the smartest person in the room with cool and interest facts. While I’m a big fan of random and fun facts, Did You Know Facts are facts that you can use as supporting evidence, whether it’s in a timed essay, a debate, or even a conversation. Did You Know Facts help expand your knowledge base so you’re prepared for any situation, and have the benefit of making you seem like you know what you’re talking about on any subject.

Finishing high school the “traditional” way isn’t the right path for everyone. That’s why there are exams you can take to earn what’s known as a high school equivalency (HSE) credential in the U.S. The HiSET Exam is a test that allows you to earn an HSE credential if you discontinued your high school education but want the equivalent of a high school diploma. 

The HiSET isn’t the only high school equivalency exam option. (You’ve probably heard quite a bit about another HSE test, the GED.) We’re betting you have a lot of questions about how the HiSET works, what taking the exam will be like, and what you can do with the HiSET once you take the exam. 

That’s why we’re going to cover the following in this article to give you a full overview of the HiSET Exam: 

• What the HiSET Exam is
• Who can take the HiSET Exam
• The four most important details to know before you register for the HiSET, including how much the exam costs
• What to expect when you take the exam, including the length of the exam, exam format, and its contents 
• Four key differences between the HiSET Exam and the GED
• Four resources to help you learn more about and prep for the HiSET Exam

We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get moving!

Learning to read and understand poetry is tricky business. Between the tough terminology—what is synecdoche, anyway?!—and complicated structure, it can sometimes feel impossible to understand what a poet is trying to say. Unfortunately, if you're going to take the AP Literature exam, you're going to have to figure out how to quickly read and understand poetry.

One of the best ways to get a handle on poetry is to read a poem along with a detailed explanation of both what the poem means and how the poet conveys that meaning.

To do this, we're going to take a look at Dylan Thomas' "Do not go gentle into that good night," one of the most famous poems of the 20th century. Not only will you have a handle on the poem's overall message, but you'll also understand the most important techniques Dylan Thomas uses to convey that meaning to the reader.

We promise: by the end of this article, poetry will seem a lot less scary. So let's get started!

If you look closely at the United States Pledge of Allegiance, you'll see that it calls the United States a republic. It reads: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." So what does that mean, exactly? Can the United States be both a democracy and a republic? And what is the difference between a democracy and republic, anyway?

As it turns out, there are subtle, but important, differences between a democracy and a republic, and that the definitions aren't mutually exclusive. In other words, it's complicated. But don't worry! Knowing the differences between a republic vs a democracy is important for tons of AP exams, including both history tests (U.S. and world) and both government and politics tests (U.S. and comparative). That's why we've put this guide together for you.

By the end of this article, you'll know the definitions of a democracy and a republic, how they operate, the differences between them, and where the United States fits into the discussion.

So let's get started!

Want to dominate your weekly trivia contest? Just looking to expand your knowledge with a variety of random facts? We’ve got you covered! This article contains 113 interesting facts about topics ranging from outer space to history to pop culture. By reading these facts, you’ll learn what camels actually store in their humps, why sunsets on Mars are blue, what crazy use ancient Romans had for human urine, and more. We’ve organized these facts into eight categories. Read all of them or just focus on the specific areas you want to learn more weird facts about!

Prepositions are one of the eight parts of speech in the English language, and they’re pretty important. Prepositions allow us to create complex sentences and add in important details. They play a crucial role in helping sentences make sense, which is super important when you need to communicate clearly and effectively. 

But if you have to sit down and give an accurate preposition definition, things can get a little tricky. You may know that prepositions are usually short words like at, for, in, on, or under, but what is a preposition as a part of speech? What do prepositions do, and how the heck do you identify a preposition in a sentence? 

To help you become an expert on prepositions, we’re going to talk about the following in this article:

• Answer the questions “What is a preposition?” and “What does preposition mean?” 
• Explain each type of preposition definition with examples of each type used in a sentence
• Provide a list of four top tips for identifying prepositions in sentences

If there’s a specific type of preposition you want to know more about—like prepositions of space—you can find the information quickly by holding Command + F on your keyboard, then typing in the term you’re looking for. 

Now without further ado, let’s get started! 

If you’re trying to learn the grammatical rules of English, you’ve probably been asked to learn the parts of speech. But what are parts of speech and how many are there? How do you know which words are classified in each part of speech? 

The answers to these questions can be a bit complicated—English is a difficult language to learn and understand. Don’t fret, though! We’re going to answer each of these questions for you with a full guide to the parts of speech that explains the following: 

• What the parts of speech are, including a comprehensive parts of speech list
• Parts of speech definitions for the individual parts of speech. (If you’re looking for information on a specific part of speech, you can search for it by pressing Command + F, then typing in the part of speech you’re interested in.) 
• Parts of speech examples
• A ten question quiz covering parts of speech definitions and parts of speech examples

We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s begin!

If you’re wondering about proper nouns, and how to identify them, look no further. You are, in fact, a proper noun yourself! Proper nouns identify specific people, places, and things. Using proper nouns correctly clarifies your writing, and ensures that readers know exactly what you’re talking about. We all use proper nouns already, so making sure you have the ability to identify them and include them in your writing will make your writing and reading comprehension skills stronger.

When you start breaking it down, the English language is pretty complicated—especially if you’re trying to learn it from scratch! One of the most important English words to understand is the. 

But what part of speech is the word the, and when should it be used in a sentence? Is the word the a preposition? Is the a pronoun? Or is the word the considered a different part of speech? 

To help you learn exactly how the word the works in the English language, we’re going to do the following in this article: 

• Answer the question, “What part of speech is the?”
• Explain how to use the correctly in sentences, with examples
• Provide a full list of other words that are classified as the same part of speech as the in the English language

Okay, let’s get started learning about the word the!

Anyone (of any age!) who’s interested in increasing their English vocabulary or literacy skills needs to be familiar with sight words—what they are, how they work in the English language, and which words are considered sight words!

One effective way to master sight words is by playing games. Science shows that high-quality educational games can be effective tools to help you learn new concepts and skills. And hey—who doesn’t want to have fun while learning? 

To help you choose sight word games that are proven to be effective at increasing vocabulary and enhancing literacy skills, we’ve compiled a full guide to sight word games and activities for you. Included in this article are: 

• A definition of what sight words are and why they’re important
• Three do-it-yourself sight word games
• Three physical sight word games
• Three digital sight word games and sight word apps

So by the end of this post, you’ll have nine sight word games and activities that can help you improve both your vocabulary and reading skills! 

Struggling with prepositions? These small words can be one of the trickiest parts of speech to understand. However, looking at examples often makes things clearer, which is why we’ve compiled a list of 49 common preposition examples for you. After recapping what prepositions are, we dive into our list of prepositions, each of which includes a sample sentence. Then we wrap up by giving tips on how to identify different types of prepositions.

If you’re trying to describe how, where, or when something happened in your writing, you’ll need to use an adverb. This class of words helps add specificity to what’s going on in the sentence.

In this article, we’ll answer the question “What’s an adverb” by giving an adverb definition, explaining what adverbs can go, and giving examples of different types of adverbs.

Wondering if you have hazel eyes? What are hazel eyes exactly? Although most of us have heard of hazel eyes, many people aren’t quite sure what color they actually are, or if they have hazel eyes themselves. Read this guide for answers to all your hazel eye-related questions, including what the actual hazel eye color is, how someone can get hazel green eyes or hazel brown eyes, how rare hazel eyes are, and how to tell if you have hazel eyes.