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 November 13, 2018
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
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
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
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
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
Story Power
CoursesIdeasLevelsMovies Step 2BPublicStep 2Stories November 13, 2018
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
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) “A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.” Mark Twain Mark Twain in the Tesla Science Lab Mark Twain was the funniest man in America. He went on adventures. He travelled the world. He met presidents and kings. And... Read more
Roentgen and the Discovery of X-rays
CoursesInvention Step 2ALevelsListen!ProtectedSciencesStep 2Stories November 13, 2018 0
ReadOasis Step 2 When she saw her the bones in her hand she said "I have seen my death!" Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1845-1923) was a German scientist who discovered x-rays. This was a great advance for physics and medicine, and it earned Roentgen the Nobel Prize in 1901. In November 1895,... Read more
By Andrew Lang ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Once upon a time there was a husband and a wife who had no children. Every day they prayed to Heaven to send them a child, even if it were no bigger than a hazelnut. (A hazelnut is a small brown... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) After a hot day, just before dark, a Florida woman is walking her dog near a small river. The dog is big, weighing 80 pounds (about 36 kilograms). But something bad is about to happen that the dog and woman do not expect. From... Read more
The Motown Sound (Step 2)
ArtsCoursesLevelsMusic Step 2APublicStep 2Stories November 12, 2018
ReadOasis Step 2 You don’t know soul music if you don’t know the Motown sound. Motown is a record company from Detroit Michigan. And one of the greatest Motown artists of all time is Stevie Wonder. Wonder has sold over 100,000,000 records and won 25 Grammy Awards. But he... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 One day, a Rabbit was talking to a Turtle. The Rabbit said, “Turtle, Turtle, you are so slow. I feel so sorry for anyone who moves as slow as you!” “You feel sorry for me?” said the Turtle. “Then why don’t we run a race to... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 As you read or listen to this, what is your body saying? Does your body speak a language? Who does it speak to? We know that body language speaks to others. But some scientists say this. “Your body language speaks to you!” Specifically, your body talks... Read more
By Cana Short ReadOasis Step 2 Why should we study history? Why should we learn about the past? What does history have to do with our lives today? These are questions that many people have about history. And it’s okay to ask them. Questions like these bother a lot... Read more
The Longest Railway
BizBiz Step 2BCoursesLevelsProtectedStep 2Stories November 12, 2018 0
ReadOasis Step 2 VOA Learning English reports that China has paid for the longest railway in the world. It's 13,000 kilometers long! The longest railway in the world is now open. In December, a train carrying products from China arrived in Spain’s capital, Madrid. The railway is one of the most recent transportation projects that China has financed in Europe. The train took three weeks to go from the city of Zhejiang in China to Madrid in Spain. It takes a ship... Read more
By Beatrix Potter Retold at ReadOasis Step 2 A long time ago, there were four little Rabbits. Their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter. They lived with their mother under the ground by the root of a big tree. "Now, my dears," said the mother Rabbit one morning.... Read more
By David Bello ReadOasis Step 2 Diego Velázquez (June 6, 1599 – to August 6, 1660) is one of the greatest painters of all time. With great skill he mixed color, light, space, and the rhythm of lines. He created scenes of historical and cultural significance. And he painted... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Google is a company that provides internet search, email, and other online services. But Google makes other products too. Google Earth is a product that puts the world in your computer. It uses pictures taken from space. And Google Earth helps you locate and explore any... Read more