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
Story Power Hot
CoursesIdeasLevelsMovies Step 2BPublicStep 2Stories March 22, 2019
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
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
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
The Blues: Music of Survival
ArtsCoursesLevelsListen!Music Step 2APublicStep 2Stories March 22, 2019
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
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
ReadOasis Step 2 You are on your way to work. It's rush hour, and the train is packed. People are pressed against you on all sides. The train speeds along, but you can't move. Finally, you stop; the doors open, and you push your way out. It's Shinjuku Station,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Yellowstone is a large park in the northern US. It became a National Park in 1872. This means the government protects the natural beauty and animals of the park. But in 1914, the government paid to kill all the predators in Yellowstone. Predators eat other animals.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Courtesy of RNLI/Grace Darling Museum It was a cold autumn day—windy, gray, and rainy. Like most stormy days in the north of England, the wind and rain came hard. People hurried through gray village streets in dark coats, holding onto their hats. Sharp sheets... 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 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
By Washington Irving ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) The valley known as Sleepy Hollow hides from the world in the high hills of New York state. Many stories are told about the quiet valley. But the story that people believe most is about a man who rides a horse... Read more
By Cielo Vera ReadOasis Step 2 Gillian Lynne could not sit still. She was eight years old now. And her teachers worried about her performance at school. Perhaps she had a learning disorder. Gillian’s mother worried, too. She took her daughter to see a doctor. At the doctor’s office,... Read more
By Cana Short ReadOasis Step 2 Mother Teresa in 1986 (Image Wikipedia) It was pouring rain. I was walking to a store, and as I did, I passed by a man. A homeless man for sure. He was huddled under a bench, trying to shield himself from the rain... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Hank Aaron's 755th Home run ball by Dan Gaken (CC) Hank Aaron was born on February 5, 1934, in Mobile Alabama (USA). He was one of seven children. Aaron grew up poor, but he loved baseball. He started playing professional baseball with the Mobile Black Bears... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Ray Foster sat at his big desk. He did not look happy as he said, "Bohemian Rhapsody? What is that?" Freddy said, "It's a great poem. And we are going to release it as our single for play on the radio." Foster's voice got louder. "It... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 The first Space Shuttle was called the Enterprise. It was made in 1976. It was used only for testing. And it did not fly into space. The Enterprise flew on top of a large airplane (a Boeing 747). For testing, it was released from the top... Read more
Get Your Goals By Richard Wiseman ReadOasis Step 3 I tracked the lives of 5,000 people as they attempted to achieve their New Year's resolutions. Now most of them failed, but ten percent did obtain their aims and ambitions. But what were they doing that was so different?... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 In the modern world, many people cannot live easily without a car, but just 100 years ago, that was not the case. The Ford Motor Company produced its first car in 1903. It was called the Ford Model A, and a doctor from Chicago, Illinois, became... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 One morning there was a loud knock at Dean Swift's door. His servant opened it. There was a man outside holding a fat duck that had just been killed. "Here's a present for Dean. It's from Mr. Boyle," the man said. He pushed the bird into... Read more