ReadOasis Step 4 By Caroline H. and Samuel B. HardingRetold by ReadOasis.com In the northern part of Greece stood a high mountain called Mount Olympus. The mountain towered so high that all year around snow covered the top. And most often, the peak rested in a wrapping of clouds.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4By Caroline H. and Samuel B. Harding(Revised Public Domain) Poseidon held power as the brother of Zeus. Just as Zeus ruled over the land and the sky, Poseidon ruled over the rivers and the seas. He always carried a spear with three points called a trident. When... Read more
ReadOasis Step 5(Part 1) Part 1: How Fire Was Given to Men In those old, old times, there lived two brothers who were not like other men, nor yet like those Mighty Ones who lived upon the mountain top. They were the sons of one of those Titans who... Read more
By James BaldwinReadOasis Step 5 One day an old hen whose name was Cluck-cluck went into the woods with her little chick Tuppen to get some blueberries to eat. But a berry stuck fast in the little one's throat, and he fell upon the ground, choking and gasping. Cluck-cluck,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Escaping Criticism by Pere Borrell del Caso, 1874 There once was a painter named Zeuxis. He could paint life-like pictures. People often mistook his pictures for the real things which they represented. At one time he painted the picture of some fruit. It seemed so real... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 A long time ago, a little boy lived in Boston. His name was Ben Franklin. On his seventh birthday, his mother gave him a few pennies. He looked at the bright, yellow pieces. "What shall I do with these pennies, mother?" he asked. This was the... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 There was once a man who travelled all over the land in search of a wife. He saw young and old, rich and poor, pretty and plain, but he could not find one woman who met with his approval. At last he found a woman, young,... Read more
Good Writing is Good Thinking
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsIdeasProtectedStep 3StoriesTop Picks 2
By Joseph Poulshock and Randall Short ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Most people think that thinking is important. If you are a good thinker, then you probably have a better chance at success in life. But how do you know if your thinking is good? And how can you... Read more
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.
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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 1 Tom Carvel invented soft-serve ice cream. Carvel was born in Greece on July 14, 1906, and he moved to America when he was a child. As a young man, he borrowed $15 from his future wife Agnes, and he started selling ice cream from a truck.... Read more
The Singularity (Step 2)
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesInvention Step 2AProtectedSciencesStep 2Stories 1
ReadOasis Step 2 Ashley was born on March 7, 2027. It's her birthday today, and she is 18 years old. Her birthday present will be a new computer. Her budget is 1,000 dollars, and today (March 7, 2045), this money will buy her a very powerful machine. In fact,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 "Go away!" cried Steve in a rough voice. "I'm studying for my English test! Can't you see that?" "Relax. Everything is going to be fine," said his mother. "And be quiet," she said. "The neighbors can hear you!" But Steve could not be quiet and relax.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 A duck made her nest on some leaves. Then she laid her eggs. She sat on the eggs to keep them warm. Finally, the eggs broke open, one after the other. The little ducks came out. Only one egg was left. It was a very large... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 The boy was stressed. On his desk stood a tower of books. “I must study more,” he said. “Only three days till the test.” Again, he took his list of words and rules and studied all night long. The girl sat in an easy chair. She... Read more
Roentgen and the Discovery of X-rays
B3-Intermediate++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesInvention Step 2AListen!ProtectedSciencesStep 2Stories 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
Transforming South Africa
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesCulture Step 3AProtectedStep 3StoriesTimes 2
ReadOasis Step 3 It was an October day in 1993. The world watched as history was made. It seemed impossible just a few years back. But Nelson Mandela and Frederick de Klerk were receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. They had transformed the nation of South Africa. Mandela and de... Read more
JK Rowling and Harry Potter (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 After finishing 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 was... Read more
By Tom Peters (Creative Commons) ReadOasis Step 4 Does this require more explanation than the Golden Rule (“Do unto others ... ”): Badmouthing competitors diminishes you. Period. “Win” with better product. “Win” with better relationships. “Win” when your industry is prospering and has a good reputation. (Think consultants, ad... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Mia was afraid. A strong wind was blowing in her face. And a loud noise filled her ears. She looked down and saw green fields. Tall trees painted the scene. But they were just little green dots 1,250 feet below. "It's so pretty," she... Read more