B1-Intermediate

Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect

B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Step 3 Stories Top Picks January 24, 2020 2

A manager at a company was interviewing a job candidate. The manager said, “We need a very responsible person for this job. We need someone who can take charge.” The candidate’s eyes lit up, and he responded with great enthusiasm. “Sir, your search ends here! I’m the one. In... Read more

The Blues: Music of Survival

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Listen!Music Step 2A Public Step 2 Stories January 24, 2020

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

Drifting Cowboy: Hank Williams

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Step 2 Stories Top Picks January 24, 2020 0

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

The Artful Geisha (Step 2)

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Culture Step 2A Listen!Public Step 2 Stories Styles January 23, 2020 1

ReadOasis Step 2 Geisha are traditional female entertainers from Japan. They are skilled at various Japanese arts, such as traditional music, dancing, and poetry. The word “geisha” comes from (GEI) meaning “art” and (SHA) meaning “person.” In this sense, a geisha is an artist. In the 1920’s, about 80,000... Read more

20 Word Learning Tips

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Sciences Step 2 Stories January 22, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 Learning new words is a big part of learning any language. In English, well-educated native speakers know around 20,000 word families. That’s a lot! To read well in English without dictionary support, you need to know about 8,000 to 9,000 word families. That’s a lot, too.... Read more

Is Extensive Reading Good for You?

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 Stories Styles TV January 22, 2020 0

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

ET and Intelligent Life

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Movies Step 2A Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 The film ET warmed the hearts of millions of children and adults. It was funny and exciting. And it told a hopeful story about love and friendship. In one scene, ET points his finger to the sky. And he says, "ET phone home." This simple phrase... Read more

Walt Disney’s Impossible Dream

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Movies Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories Times January 21, 2020 4

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

Try with Ukulele

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020

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

The Reach of English

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 Stories Styles January 19, 2020 1

ReadOasis Step 2 English is a global language. It is the main language in science, business, entertainment, and foreign affairs. There are about 400 million native speakers of English. And maybe one billion people speak it as a second language. English became international mainly through the economic and cultural... Read more

To Sell is Human

B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 5 Stories January 9, 2020 0

Book Trailer by Daniel Pink ReadOasis Step 5 What if everything we knew about sales turned out to be wrong? For instance, we think the only people in sales are the folks who try to get us to buy stuff. That's sales as we know it, and it’s huge.... Read more

Johnny Cash: The Man in Black (Step 2)

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Step 2 Stories January 9, 2020

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

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Ideas Protected Step 2 Stories January 9, 2020 1

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

The Boy who Became Buddha

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Culture Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories Styles January 9, 2020 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

The Last Lecture

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Ideas Listen!Protected Step 3 Stories January 9, 2020 2

ReadOasis Step 3 If you were going to die, what would your final message be? This question inspired the tradition called "The Last Lecture." In a Last Lecture, professors imagine that they are going to die. Then they give a talk about their most important thoughts and ideas. The... Read more

Making Social Networks Safer

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 2 Stories Tech January 2, 2020 1

ReadOasis Step 2 MySpace is the second largest social networking site in the US. It has over 115 million users. (Facebook is the #1 social networking site, with over 180 million users). Millions of people enjoy networking with friends on these sites every day. But like any big city... Read more

Verbal, Visual, & Vocal Communication

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Step 2 Stories Styles Top Picks January 2, 2020 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

What is Health?

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 1 Stories January 2, 2020 1

By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 1 A doctor was checking an older woman. When he finished, the doctor told her, "You're in good health. You'll live to be 80." "But doctor," the woman said, "I am 80 right now." With a smile, the doctor answered, "See, what did... Read more

W.C. Handy: Father of the Blues (Step 2)

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Music Step 2B Protected Step 2 Stories December 26, 2019 0

By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) W.C. Handy at age 19 "Then I saw the beauty of primitive music." W.C. Handy, Father of the Blues W.C. Handy grew up in the southern part of the United States, in a small town in Alabama. His father was a... Read more

How to Feel Happier

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories December 26, 2019 0

By Dr. Richard Wiseman ReadOasis Step 2 Creative Commons photo by Benjamin Smith This exercise is all about the power of smiling. Obviously you smile when you’re happy. However, research shows the opposite is also true. Smiling actually makes you feel happier. So each day, put a smile on... Read more