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
Get Down to Business in English
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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) A Big Decision As usual, the boss spoke clearly and in short sentences. “Okay, it’s decided. This meeting is over. You all know what to do.” One by one, the managers closed their notebooks and stood up. There were no jokes and no laughter.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) A library is a building full of treasures. We keep these treasures in books. Books give us knowledge, entertainment, laughter, pleasure, new information, and power to change our lives. If reading is so important, how can we help people read more? Libraries and schools... Read more
Dear Skeptical Reader!
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ReadOasis: So this is our our second question with Dr. Richard Day. And this is from a student, and basically it’s this: What would you say to a student who doesn’t want to do ER because, let’s say, he or she wants to spend more time improving their listening... Read more
By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 1 A doctor was checking an older woman. When he finished, the doctor told her, "You're in good health. You'll live to be 80." "But doctor," the woman said, "I am 80 right now." With a smile, the doctor answered, "See, what did... Read more
Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 Tom Sawyer gets in and out of trouble all the time. But he has a good heart, and he slowly grows to become a leader among his friends. His leadership ability was always there; it was just hidden in his playful heart and free spirit. The... Read more
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
By Cana Short ReadOasis Step 3 Now, you might be wondering, “How can this be a letter from Socrates, if Socrates never wrote anything?” It is true that I do not write much, at least not for others. But I am having my student Plato write this letter for... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 The forest was thick, and the grass was tall. We walked quietly and carefully by the bank of the river. We were in the shade of the trees, but the river danced with the light of the afternoon sun. "Watch out for snakes," my father said... Read more
The Most Famous Not a Protest Song (Step 5)
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ReadOasis Step 5 Protest songs speak out against problems in society. We can hear protest songs at pivotal moments of activism in western history, during the civil rights, anti-war, feminist, labor, and environmental movements. Protest singers have also sung about slave emancipation and women's suffrage. Of the many protest... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) 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... Read more
ET and Intelligent Life
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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
By Guy Kawasaki ReadOasis Step 5 The seventh thing is you need to follow what I call the 10-20-30 rule. I have this thing called Meniere's disease. Meniere's disease has three symptoms: hearing loss, tinnitus, which is a constant ringing in my ear, and sometimes I get dizzy or... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4 "I thought up the name Queen. It's just a name, but it's very royal, and it sounds splendid. It's a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations." Freddie Mercury Queen formed in... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 What is the Golden Rule? Some people say, "If you have the gold, you make the rules!" But seriously, the Golden Rule is a guide for behavior that we find in almost all cultures, religions, and moral systems. This rule has two basic forms. A negative... Read more
The Birth of Levi’s Jeans
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ReadOasis Step 2 Rivets By Rohit Gowaikar (Creative Commons) Levi Strauss was born in Germany in 1829. At 18, he joined his brothers in America. They had a dry goods business in New York City. At that time, many people were moving to California in search of gold. Levi... Read more
JK Rowling and Harry Potter (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 After graduating from university in 1983, JK Rowling was living in London. She worked for the human rights group Amnesty International. But in 1990, she decided to move to Manchester. After spending a weekend looking for an apartment, she took the train back to London. It... Read more
By Phillip WiseReadOasis Step 1 Philosophy is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and people. Philosophy is abstract. It’s about ideas and thoughts, such as love, beauty, or truth. But philosophy also deals with the real world. Ethics is a part of philosophy, dealing with good and... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4 (Part 1) I am an alcoholic and an addict and I didn't want to see my children do the same thing. Ozzy Osbourne, heavy metal singer Heavy metal is a style of rock music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It has roots in... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Hope filled the air on that famous day in August 1963. Over 200,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Abraham Lincoln's giant statue looked down quietly on the great crowd as Dr. Martin Luther King walked up to the... Read more