BNC Levels

The Treasure of the Blues

Arts BNC Levels C1-Advanced CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Step 5 Stories January 22, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 5 Blues Legend Robert Johnson The blues is a great treasure of American musical culture. It stands as the foundation for practically every form of American music in the 20th century, including gospel, jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and hip hop. Blues music has its... Read more

5 Amazing Facts About Reading

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 Stories Styles January 21, 2020 4

What’s the best way to improve your English? Of course, there are many ways. But big, easy reading is one of the best. And it probably has the most research and evidence to support it. What is big, easy reading? First, you read lots of books and stories. That’s... Read more

Happiness in 59 Seconds (Step 1)

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Sciences Step 1 Stories January 21, 2020

ReadOasis Step 1 (Part 1) Jim sat into a soft, red chair. He looked down, and then he started to cry. “Am I asking too much?” he said. “I just want to be happy.” Dr. Jones gave Jim a box of paper tissues. “Thank you,” said Jim as he... Read more

The Seven Habits Made Easy

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Ideas Public Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020

Max is running late. He hurries out the door of his apartment, holding a cup of coffee. Then he sees his bus. “It’s leaving!” he cries. Max starts to run, but he trips over a rock and falls. His coffee flies out of his hands and spills all over... Read more

Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect

B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Step 3 Stories Top Picks January 21, 2020 2

A manager at a company was interviewing a job candidate. The manager said, “We need a very responsible person for this job. We need someone who can take charge.” The candidate’s eyes lit up, and he responded with great enthusiasm. “Sir, your search ends here! I’m the one. In... Read more

The Blues: Music of Survival

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Listen!Music Step 2A Public Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020

Four men were walking across a field. They were carrying a body wrapped up in white cloth. Their strong, black hands and arms supported the body as they walked on. Other men, women, and children walked behind. And the tall green trees listened. They listened to the cries of... Read more

Grow Your Mindset!

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Sciences Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020

Mike waited and waited. Was it going to be good news or bad news? Who would be in, and who would be out? Would he make the team or not? Finally, the coach put two lists on the door of the school gym. Mike looked at the list for... Read more

Drifting Cowboy: Hank Williams

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Step 2 Stories Top Picks January 21, 2020 0

Hank would never make it to the concert. There were too many problems. It was icy cold outside. He sat under a cover in the back of his light blue Cadillac car. He was heading to the city of Canton, Ohio, to give a big concert on New Year’s... Read more

Story Power

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Ideas Movies Step 2B Public Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020

Dorothy looked up into the sky. And she started to sing. Her soft voice rose up gently in the air. Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There’s a land that I’ve heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue And the dreams that... Read more

The Boy on Graves-End Road

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Step 2 Stories Story January 21, 2020 3

By Caty Weaver Kelly Ryan was making dinner. Her ten-year-old son Benjamin was watching television in the living room. Or, at least she thought he was. “Benny-boy, do you want black beans or red beans?” “Red beans, Mama.” Ben had come up quietly right behind her. “Don’t do that,... Read more

Sticky Communication

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Ideas Public Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020 1

The bell rang. Jim’s things were already in his red book bag, which looked brown under the white lights of the classroom. Zip! Zip! He closed the bag. He stood up and let out a sigh, “Ahhhh.” It was loud enough that other students and the teacher noticed. Jim... Read more

ET and Intelligent Life

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Movies Step 2A Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 The film ET warmed the hearts of millions of children and adults. It was funny and exciting. And it told a hopeful story about love and friendship. In one scene, ET points his finger to the sky. And he says, "ET phone home." This simple phrase... Read more

Walt Disney’s Impossible Dream

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Movies Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories Times January 21, 2020 4

ReadOasis Step 2 In 1934, Walt Disney began plans to make a movie. He wanted to create the first full-length animated film. But when people heard about his idea, they said it was a mistake. They thought it would destroy the Disney studio. Even Disney's brother and wife tried... Read more

James Watt and the Teapot

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Invention Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories Tech January 21, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) A little boy was sitting in his grandmother's kitchen. He was watching the red fire in the wide open fireplace. He quietly thought about the causes of things. He was always thinking and always wanting to know how things worked. "Grandma," he asked, "what... Read more

Try with Ukulele

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020

ReadOasis Step 2 At age 18, Mandy Harvey lost most of her ability to hear. As a child and during her teenage years, Mandy loved to sing. But she stopped singing for a time after she went deaf. But then she learned to feel a song's beat through the... Read more

A Clever Slave

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 2 Stories Story January 21, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 A long time ago there lived a poor slave whose name was Aaron. He was a small man with a large head and long arms. His face was white but very ugly. His large eyes were bright and active. When Aaron was about twenty years old,... Read more

20 Word Learning Tips

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Sciences Step 2 Stories January 20, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 Learning new words is a big part of learning any language. In English, well-educated native speakers know around 20,000 word families. That’s a lot! To read well in English without dictionary support, you need to know about 8,000 to 9,000 word families. That’s a lot, too.... Read more

Life in the Pacific Islands

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 January 20, 2020

By Quinn, Nation, and Millett Published here with authors’ permission ReadOasis Step 2 How to use this course for free The Pacific is the largest ocean in the world and has more than 5,000 islands. These islands make up many different countries, but together they are called the Pacific... Read more

Jainism

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 January 19, 2020

By Quinn, Nation, and Millett Published here with authors’ permission ReadOasis Step 2 How to use this course for free Like Buddhism, Jainism began in India. However, while Buddhism went to other countries, Jainism never moved from India. Jainism is not widely known now, but it was very important... Read more

The Reach of English

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 Stories Styles January 19, 2020 1

ReadOasis Step 2 English is a global language. It is the main language in science, business, entertainment, and foreign affairs. There are about 400 million native speakers of English. And maybe one billion people speak it as a second language. English became international mainly through the economic and cultural... Read more