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
The Queen of Glamour Rock
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ReadOasis Step 4 Freddy ran onto the stage pumping his fists. And the crowd of 72,000 fans roared. Bouncing over to the piano, he sat down. And for just a moment, everyone hushed. Then Freddy's fingers danced on the keys, playing well-known chords. Cheers erupted over the audience. As... Read more
By Robert Louis StevensonReadOasis Step 3 Photo by NASA The lights from the parlour and kitchen shone outThrough 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 on a tree,Nor of people in... 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
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
What Kind of Person Are You?
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ReadOasis Step 4 Who are you? What is your personality? What are your personality characteristics, and how do they help or hurt you? In the 1990's psychologists found 5 kinds of personality traits. They are called the Big 5. (1) Openness: How open are you to new things?(2) Conscientiousness:... Read more
By Zoe NovaReadOasis 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 for... 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
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
International Etiquette
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ReadOasis Step 3 Note: The author, David Woodward, is a well-known expert in cross-cultural communication and education. This story comes from experiences of traveling, teaching, and doing business in over 45 countries. The goal is to show the basic idea of international etiquette. That is, how do we behave... Read more
Reading Makes Words Stick in Your Brain
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ReadOasis: So here we are with Dr. Paul Nation, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wellington, Victoria (New Zealand). And of course one of the most well-known linguists in the world. It's an honor to have him. Just one quick question for our learners: How can extensive graded reading help... Read more
Your Cross-Cultural Purpose
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ReadOasis Step 2 Viktor listened to the sound of hard coughing. He looked at the man in the bed next to him. The man coughed and fought for air. Other men in the room coughed hard, too. Just then, the door burst open. A cold wind filled the room,... 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
Culture of Innovation (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3(Part 1) It was 5 o’clock on a warm summer evening in July 2008. In a busy part of Tokyo, people were leaving their places of work. Some were going home, and others were going out to enjoy the nightlife. It was an ordinary night. But in... 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
Hawaiian Treasure
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ReadOasis Step 3 Far into the middle of the Pacific Ocean rest the Hawaiian Islands. They are a paradise of nature and human civilization. They stand like green gardens in the center of the deep blue sea. Creative Commons Picture by Paul Bica Hawaii was first settled by Polynesians... Read more
Saint Paul: The Most Influential Christian
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ReadOasis Step 3 Saint Paul (AD 3-62) is the first major Christian missionary and theologian. He was educated as a Jewish religious leader. And when Christianity began to spread, Paul worked hard to oppose and persecute Christians. But ironically he became a Christian himself after experiencing a vision of... Read more
A Nap is Better than Coffee (Step 4)
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ReadOasis Step 4 When you are tired from work or study, what do you do? Many people are addicted to coffee for staying alert, or they crave an energy drink to refresh themselves. But one study suggests that a short sleep might refresh you more than a cup of... Read more