Step 2 | ReadOasis — Read Big!

Try with Ukulele

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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

Walt Disney’s Impossible Dream

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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

Johnny Cash: The Man in Black (Step 2)

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ReadOasis Step 2 Johnny started singing, but he looked uncomfortable. The audition was not going well. Sam Phillips, the producer, listened politely. But he didn't smile. Johnny kept singing, but with no confidence. Then Mr. Phillips said, "Hold up!" Johnny and his friends stopped playing. Phillips said, "I hate... Read more

Beauty, Goodness, and Truth

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) The buildings are rich in color and history. The trees are tall and stately. And the wind blows with the quiet whispers of the great people who have walked these paths. Eight American presidents have studied here. Some fifty Nobel Prize winners have been... Read more

Is Extensive Reading Good for You?

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Here is a short interview with Dr. Richard Day. Dr. Day is a Professor at the University of Hawaii in the Department of Second Language Studies. He is a well-known and highly regarded linguist. In this interview on ReadOasis TV, Professor Day answers this question. Is extensive reading good... Read more

21 Tips for a Lifestyle of Reading

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Even if we (or our students) know the benefits of reading, we may still have trouble developing a lifestyle of reading. One way we can solve this problem is to see how avid readers keep a lifestyle of reading. With this in mind, here are 21 Tips for a Lifestyle of Reading for teachers and students.

Reading Can Beat Study Abroad (TV)

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In this ReadOasis video, Dr. Hitoshi Nishizawa explains his research. He compared TOEIC scores for two kinds of students. Some studied for one year in English speaking countries. Others did extensive graded reading in Japan. Some of these students read more than 3 million words. And they got about... Read more

Reading Makes Words Stick in Your Brain

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ReadOasis: So here we are with Dr. Paul Nation, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wellington, Victoria (New Zealand). And of course one of the most well-known linguists in the world. It’s an honor to have him. Just one quick question for our learners: How can extensive graded reading help... Read more

Extensive Reading, Because it Works!

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This is Professor Thomas Robb from Kyoto Sangyo University, and he is one of the world’s renowned experts on extensive graded reading. Q: Tell us. Why should students do extensive reading? Dr. Robb: Why? Because it works. I’ve done it for Japanese as well. Really? Yeah. So I chose a mystery... Read more

5 More Amazing Facts About Reading

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ReadOasis Step 2 Imagine that you know a secret. Your secret is a powerful idea for change. It can change communities, cities, and countries. It can powerfully affect the future. It can change you. What is this secret, and what does it do? It is the power of reading.... Read more

Pleasure, Success, and Reading

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Mary lay down on the sofa with her book, and she opened it again. She couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. She loved science fiction, and this book was one of the most famous sci-fi books of all time: 2001: A... Read more

The Best Way to Learn Language

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ReadOasis Step 2 What’s the best way to learn a foreign language? As a linguist, I hear this question all the time. My students are in Japan, and many of them want to learn English. So they often ask me, “What’s the best way to improve my English?” Students... Read more

Music and Mindfulness – with Christopher Hardy

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 Stories

ReadOasis Step 2 Christopher took his seat in the middle of the concert hall. A flow of people filled the room. The lights went dark, and all the talking heads turned silent. In the quiet and dark, electricity filled the air as people waited for the music. And when... Read more

Why is Christmas on December 25th?

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ReadOasis Step 2 Would you celebrate someone’s birthday even if no one knew the day when he or she was born? That is what happens around the world every year on December 25th, when most Christians remember Jesus’ birthday. We know a lot about Jesus. But we don’t know... Read more

The Young Cupbearer

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Long ago, there lived in Persia a little prince whose name was Cyrus. He was not spoiled like many other princes. Although his father was a king, Cyrus was brought up like the son of a common man. He knew how to work with... Read more

The Teacher Man (Step 2)

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ReadOasis Step 2 Image from Wikipedia Frank McCourt stood in front of his classroom. Even after thirty years of teaching, it still was not an easy job. In fact, nothing in his life had been easy. When he travelled from Ireland to America at the age of 19, he... Read more

Horatius at the Bridge

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Once there was a war between the Roman people and the Etruscans. The Etruscans lived in the towns on the other side of the Tiber River. Porsena was the King of the Etruscans. He raised a great army, and they marched toward Rome. The... Read more

The First Great American Painter

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ReadOasis Step 2 A long time ago there was a boy who lived in Pennsylvania. His name was Benjamin West. The boy loved pictures. There was nothing that he loved more. But he had only seen a few pictures. They were in a small book. The book did not... Read more

Henry Ward Beecher, Friend of Slaves (Step 2)

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By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 2 On February 5, 1860, a strange thing happened at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, New York. Church members were not having a “bake sale.” They were having a “slave sale.” But this sale was backwards. Church members were buying the freedom of a... Read more

Every Day I Have the Blues

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ReadOasis Step 2 Memphis Slim at the Piano Long black fingers were dancing. They were dancing on the white and black keys of the piano. From the comfort of their homes, people watched on their televisions. And they listened to the blue sounds of the piano. The piano player... Read more