ReadOasis Step 4 (Part 1) On June 2, 2010, President Barack Obama stood on a small stage in the White House. In the audience sat a mix of elite leaders and famous musicians. The President was about to give America’s highest award for popular music to Paul McCartney of the... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 "I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford will be sworn in as President at that hour in this office." These words were spoken by President Richard Nixon on August 8, 1974 on national television. They came after many months of scandal... Read more
By Robert Louis Stevenson ReadOasis Step 3 Photo by NASA The lights from the parlour and kitchen shone out Through the blinds and the windows and bars; And high overhead and all moving about, There were thousands of millions of stars. There ne’er were such thousands of leaves... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4 The Spanish painter Picasso demonstrated remarkable artistic aptitude at a very young age. According to his mother, his first words were "piz, piz." "Piz" is short for "lápiz," which means "pencil" in Spanish. Picasso's father was an art professor who raised his son in a world... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Charles Dickens (1786-1851) Most people know Charles Dickens for his famous ghost story: A Christmas Carol. But many people don’t realize that Dickens was the most notable English author of the Victorian period... Read more
A Force for Good in Music
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ReadOasis Step 3(Part 1) U2 in Concert It was a cool winter night in January 2002 in New York. The city that never sleeps was wide-awake and full of movement. Even in the cold, you could feel the energy of arts, entertainment, culture, and money. That week, top business,... Read more
Roentgen and the Discovery of X-rays
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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
A Definition of Health (Step 4)
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ReadOasis Step 4 A medical doctor was examining a patient. He summarized his diagnosis in the following way. "You're in superb health, and you'll live to be 80." The patient responded, "But, doctor, I am 80 right now. The doctor replied, "See, now what did I tell you? But... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 The word renaissance means "rebirth." In history, the Renaissance refers to the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries in Europe. We call the period before this the Middle Ages. In the Renaissance, people changed the focus of their learning. They took serious interest in the cultural achievements... Read more
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 3 In 1966, Richard was 16 years old. He was a student, but he was annoyed with the way he was taught in school. He wanted to change his world, and he was going to do something about it. He resolved to publish a magazine that was... Read more
The Mice and the Weasels (Milo Winter)
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ReadOasis Step 5 The Weasels and the Mice were always up in arms against each other. In every battle the Weasels carried off the victory, as well as a large number of the Mice, which they ate for dinner next day. In despair the Mice called a council, and... Read more
The Monkey and the Camel (Milo Winter)
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ReadOasis Step 4 At a great celebration in honor of King Lion, the Monkey was asked to dance for the company. His dancing was very clever indeed, and the animals were all highly pleased with his grace and lightness. The praise that was showered on the Monkey made the... Read more
The Ant and the Dove (Milo Winter)
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ReadOasis Step 5 A Dove saw an Ant fall into a brook. The Ant struggled in vain to reach the bank, and in pity, the Dove dropped a blade of straw close beside it. Clinging to the straw like a shipwrecked sailor to a broken spar, the Ant floated... Read more
The Fox and the Stork (Milo Winter)
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ReadOasis Step 5 The Fox one day thought of a plan to amuse himself at the expense of the Stork, at whose odd appearance he was always laughing. "You must come and dine with me today," he said to the Stork, smiling to himself at the trick he was... Read more
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse (Milo Winter)
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ReadOasis Step 4 A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the country. For lunch the Country Mouse served wheat stalks, roots, and acorns, with a dash of cold water for drink. The Town Mouse ate very sparingly, nibbling a little of this and a little of... Read more
By Robert Louis StevensonReadOasis Step 4 Through all the pleasant meadow-sideThe grass grew shoulder-high,Till the shining blades went far and wideAnd cut it down to dry. Those green and sweetly smelling cropsThey led in wagons home;And they piled them here in mountain topsFor mountaineers to roam. Here is Mount... Read more
Johnny Cash: The Man in Black (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 Johnny Cash was a man of great presence, as if born from an ancient legend that reveals the contradictions of human life. Cash died in 2003, but he gave us a vast collection of over 50 years of music. He also created his own genre, between... Read more
Book Trailer by Jonathan Gottschall ReadOasis Step 5 Statisticians believe they could get a monkey to type Hamlet if they can only convince one to randomly thwack a typewriter for a long, long time. But a monkey already wrote Hamlet, or at least a great ape did. And long... Read more
By Zoe Nova ReadOasis Step 4 Japan is a land of festivals, and on the third day of the month of March, many Japanese families celebrate the Doll Festival, which is called "Hina Matsuri” in Japanese. This special day is also called Girl's Day, a day when families pray... Read more