The Place Martin opened the green door of his second floor room, room 306. He stepped outside and closed the door. He felt the air on his face, and he heard the voices of his friends. He looked down at them. They stood talking in the parking lot below.... Read more
The Boy who Became Buddha
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesCulture Step 2AProtectedStep 2StoriesStyles 0
ReadOasis Step 2 He was born in 1935 -- in a poor farmer's home in northeast Tibet. At age 2, he was recognized as the 14th Buddha of Compassion. Buddha's soul had again appeared in a child. And this boy was the Buddha. He was taken to a palace... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Apple Computer has revolutionized tech. In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh. It was the first successful personal computer with a mouse and menus. In 2001, Apple released the iPod. With the first iPod, you could carry "1000 songs in your pocket." Today an iPod can hold... Read more
By Daniel Pink (Author of A Whole New Mind) ReadOasis Step 3 Students choosing a college major should follow their interests. That’s easy. You should choose something you’re interested in, simple as that. If you try to choose your major based on getting a job when you graduate or... Read more
JK Rowling and Harry Potter (Step 3)
ArtsB1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!ProtectedStep 3Stories 1
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
More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt ReadOasis Step 3 The Rat Chief Once upon a time a Big Rat lived in the forest, and many hundreds of other Rats called him their Chief. A Tricky Wolf saw this troop of Rats, and he began to plan how he... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Winston is an editor. Every day he works with words. His hands are soft, and he is not strong. He does not do hard physical labor. But his job is challenging and even dangerous. He works for the government of Oceania. Every day, he rewrites history.... Read more
By Sara Teasdale ReadOasis Step 2 Creative Commons Photo by Vinoth Chandar I think the moon is very kind To take such trouble just for me. He came along with me from home To keep me company. He went as fast as I could run; I wonder how... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Jack fell asleep under a pile of books. When he woke up, he pushed away the pile and said, “Oh no! Tomorrow’s test! I gotta study more words and rules.” And so he did, all night long. Mary sat in an easy chair, enjoying a light... Read more
ReadOasis Step 5 (Part 1) Bugs Bunny “I'm trapped. Trapped. I gotta get out of this.I gotta think fast. Trapped. Oh boy, they've trapped a rabbit. Look, look fellows, I'm Rin Tin Tin.” Elmer Fudd “Now I got you. You're a dead rabbit.” Delivery Boy “Telegram for Elmer Fudd.”... Read more
The Wisdom of Socrates (Step 3)
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsIdeasListen!ProtectedStep 3Stories 5
ReadOasis Step 3 The man mixed the hemlock plant into a drink. It was a strong cup of poison. And then, a slave led the man into a room where Socrates was waiting. When Socrates saw the man, he said, "Now, good sir, you understand these things. What must... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 The world is in financial crisis. American employers cut 598,000 jobs in January 2009. This is the most job cuts in one month in the US since December 1974. 11.6 million people in the US don't have work. That is about 7.6% of people who can... Read more
Six Keys to a Healthy Life
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!ProtectedSciencesStep 3Stories 1
ReadOasis Step 3 Jeanne Calment was a French woman who lived 122 years. She was born in 1875 and died in 1997. Many records verify her age, and they show that she lived longer than any other human being. At age 85, she started to learn the sport of... Read more
Verbal, Visual, & Vocal Communication
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!ProtectedStep 2StoriesStylesTop Picks 1
ReadOasis Step 2 What is good communication? Psychologist Albert Mehrabian researches three elements of communication: words, tone of voice, and body language. More interestingly, Mehrabian studied how people communicate feelings and attitudes. If your body language and tone of voice disagree with your words, listeners tend to believe your body... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Image by A. F. Lydon Two hundred years ago there was a young man who lived in Scotland. His name was Alexander Selkirk. He was always fighting and making trouble with his neighbors. Many people were glad when he ran away from home. He... Read more
How to Acquire Language (Step 3)
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsIdeasListen!ProtectedStep 3StoriesWhy Read Big 0
ReadOasis Step 3 How do humans acquire languages? The answer is remarkably simple. All people everywhere acquire languages in the same way. “We acquire languages by understanding messages.” This is called the “comprehension hypothesis,” and it was made famous by the distinguished linguist Dr. Stephen Krashen. I give this... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Dan Hurley is a writer. He writes best-selling books about science, and he writes popular stories for the world’s best newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Wired Magazine. In a word, he is a big success. But when... Read more
By Andrew Lang ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Once there was a great war. The king had many soldiers in his army. But he did not give them very much money, so they were poor and unhappy. Because of this, three of them decided to run away from the... Read more
Music: Good for Your Ears
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesIdeasListen!Music Step 2BProtectedStep 2Stories 2
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Clive Wearing sits at the piano. He stretches out his hands and fingers. He takes a deep breath. Then he begins to play. His fingers strike the keys, and the piano hammers hit the strings. The strings vibrate in beautiful harmony and precise rhythm.... Read more
By O. Henry ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) It was raining as I got off the train in Nashville, Tennessee -- a slow, gray rain. I was tired, so I went straight to my hotel. When I arrived, a big, heavy man was walking up and down in the... Read more