ReadOasis Step 5 Textured Tiger by Steve Wilson (Creative Commons) The Tiger by William Blake may be the most popular poem in English. This is because editors have put it in more poetry collections than any other English poem. Blake was a graphic artist and a genius with words.... 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 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
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 (Part 1) 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... 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
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... 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 Stevenson ReadOasis Step 4 Through all the pleasant meadow-side The grass grew shoulder-high, Till the shining blades went far and wide And cut it down to dry. Those green and sweetly smelling crops They led in wagons home; And they piled them here in mountain tops... 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
ET and Intelligent Life
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ReadOasis Step 4 The film ET charmed the hearts of millions of children and adults. It was humorous and compelling, and it told an inspiring story about love and companionship. In one scene, ET points his finger to the sky, and he says, "ET phone home." This simple phrase... Read more
The Adventures of a Folk Singer
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ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) "I think a poet is anybody who wouldn't call himself a poet." - Bob Dylan It was January 1961. In the cold north of Minnesota, a young man of 19 years packed his bags and his guitar. He was crossing 1,900 kilometers to New... 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
By Robert Louis Stevenson ReadOasis Step 4 The moon has a face like the clock in the hall; She shines on thieves on the garden wall, On streets and fields and harbour *quays, And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees. The squealing cat and the squeaking mouse,... Read more
What to Do Before an Earthquake
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ReadOasis Step 2 Fires of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Earthquakes come suddenly, violently, and without warning. You need to find dangers ahead of time. And you need to plan ahead. Then you can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake. The following... Read more
The Biggest Band (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 It was a hot August night in New York City, 1965. Two thousand policemen in charge of security watched anxiously as 55,000 fans filled Shea Stadium. But this was not for a baseball game; it was for the first ever stadium concert in the history of... Read more
Woodstock: A Symbol of the 1960s (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 The middle of August marks an extraordinary moment in popular music history. In 1969, about 2,500 residents lived in Bethel, New York. But that summer, there were big ambitions for that small town. Concert promoters were organizing a music festival to take place on a local... Read more
The Themes of Frankenstein
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ReadOasis Step 5 The author of Frankenstein (Mary Shelly) focuses on three critical themes. She is concerned with how we use science for good or evil; how we develop technology but become enslaved by it, and how we receive from nature the power of life and death. Knowledge Shelly... 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