Courses

Lean In

B1-Intermediate Biz Biz Step 2A BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Protected Step 2 Stories 0

Book Trailer by Sheryl Sandberg ReadOasis Step 2 I entered the workforce believing that my generation was going to have equal responsibility and equal opportunity. And it didn't work out that way. Women are getting more college degrees, more graduate degrees, entering the workforce at every level. But in... Read more

The Motown Sound (Step 3)

Arts BNC Levels C1-Advanced CEFR Levels Courses Listen!Music Step 3B Protected Step 3 Stories 0

ReadOasis Step 3 The Motown Museum (Wikipedia) Soul music combines rhythm and blues and gospel. Like the blues, soul arose out of the black experience in America, and soul musicians took these styles out of the black church and into the world and the streets. They confidently and proudly... Read more

The Nation of Cuba

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Culture Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories Times 1

ReadOasis Step 2 Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. The country is made of the island of Cuba, the Island of Youth, and a number of small islands. Cuba is just south of the US state of Florida. It is just north of Jamaica. On January... Read more

Big Time Car Trouble

B1-Intermediate Biz Biz Step 2A BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Protected Step 2 Stories 0

ReadOasis Step 2 US car makers are in serious trouble. Their sales fell about 35% in January compared with last year. Ford Motor Company sales dropped 42%. General Motors reported a 49% drop. But Chrysler was hardest hit. Their sales went down 55%. This decline in sales is not... Read more

Knocking on Heaven’s Door

A3-Beginner++Arts BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Movies Step 2A Music Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories Story 0

ReadOasis Step 2 He came out of nowhere. In 1961, he just appeared in New York City, wanting to do music. And in one short year, he held a record contract in his hand. By the middle of the 1960s, he had reached the top of the pop music... Read more

Crazy for Basketball

BNC Levels Courses Protected Sports Step 2A Step 2 Stories Styles 0

ReadOasis Step 2 Just 17 seconds remained on the clock. The noise was overpowering. 61,612 basketball fans packed the Louisiana Superdome. Georgetown University was playing the University of North Carolina. North Carolina was behind by just one point. The ball was passed to Michael Jordan. He jumped up and... Read more

The Wonder of the Taj Mahal

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Culture Step 2A Listen!Protected Step 2 Stories Times 0

By Mirah Mayer ReadOasis Step 2 The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was completed around 1649 by the Muslim king Shah Jahan. Over 1,000 elephants and 22,000 workers took 22 years to build it. The Taj Mahal is located in the beautiful... Read more

The Doll Festival (Step 2)

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Culture Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories Styles 0

By Zoe Nova ReadOasis Step 2 Japan is a land of festivals. And on March 3, Japanese families may celebrate the "Hina Matsuri" or Doll Festival. This is also called Girl's Day. On Girl's day, families pray for the health and happiness of their girls. During the Doll Festival,... Read more

Paul Desmond and Take Five

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Music Step 3B Protected Step 3 Stories 2

ReadOasis Step 3 By Maria Sonora “I would also like to thank my father, who discouraged me from playing the violin.” These are the words of Paul Desmond. He is one of the most popular musicians to come out of the West Coast cool jazz scene. Surely, he liked... Read more

Fred Astaire, Dancer Extraordinaire

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Movies Step 2B Protected Step 3 Stories 1

ReadOasis Step 3 "Some people seem to think that good dancers are born, but all the good dancers I have known are taught or trained." -- Fred Astaire It was a dark time. In 1929, the American economy crashed. Many people lost all their money. Almost half the banks... Read more

Drifting Cowboy: Hank Williams (Step 3)

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Music Step 3B Protected Step 3 Stories 0

By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) By MGM Records via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain) Hank would never make it to his destination. There were too many problems. It was icy cold outside. Covered with a blanket, he sat in the back seat of his light blue Cadillac.... Read more

The Mindset Message (Step 3)

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Invention Step 3A Listen!Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories

ReadOasis Step 3 Some people say that "hard work is more important than innate intelligence." To appraise this claim, researchers gave this message to a group of people. Then something remarkable happened. Right after hearing the message, the people manifested real changes in their brains. Is this true? Can... Read more

Rakugo: A Funny Side of Japan

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Culture Step 3A Protected Step 2 Stories Styles 4

ReadOasis Step 2 Sakura started to cry. "No Tora-san! You can't leave again! I know that life is hard for you here. But when you leave, it's harder for me." Tora-san watched Sakura cry and wipe her tears. He felt so sorry for her, but he didn't say anything.... Read more

A Force for Good in Music

Arts B3-Intermediate++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Listen!Music Step 3A Protected Step 3 Stories 0

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

Get Up Earlier than the Next Guy

A3-Beginner++Biz Biz Step 2A BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Protected Step 2 Stories 1

By Tom Peters (Creative Commons) ReadOasis Step 2 Flying to Boston from London on Saturday morning. 7 hours. Professional woman sitting in front of me. I duly swear, she did not look up for 7 hours. She produced more on her laptop than I do in ... a week... Read more

Babe: A Good Mannered Pig

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ReadOasis Step 2 Babe is a young pig who wants to become a sheep dog. He is separated from his family, and he finds himself on a strange farm. Babe becomes confused and lonely. But a friendly sheep dog takes care of him. And Babe slowly adjusts to his... Read more

Isaac Albéniz, Genius of Spanish Music

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Music Step 2B Protected Step 2 Stories 1

By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 2 Isaac Albéniz (May 29, 1860 - May 18, 1909) was a genius of Spanish music. He gave his first concert when he was four years old. And at the young age of nine, he began his concert career. By age 15, he had... Read more

Call of Duty Game Breaks Records Again

Biz Biz Step 2B BNC Levels C1-Advanced CEFR Levels Courses News Protected Step 2 Stories 1

ReadOasis Step 2 The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported this gaming news on November 12, 2010, summarized here at ReadOasis Step 2. The video game Call of Duty: Black Ops reached first-day sales of $360 million in the U.S. and U.K. The game is made by the company Activision.... Read more

Stairway to Heaven

Arts B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Music Step 3B Protected Step 3 Stories 0

By Douglas Forster ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) “And we’re back. I’m Jim Ladd, and you’re listening to KMET. We’re the south’s number one station for the rock and roll music you need for your soul. Before the break, I announced that I would be accepting requests. And boy,... Read more

Richard Wagner, Musician

Arts B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Music Step 2B Protected Step 2 Stories 1

ReadOasis Step 2 Richard Wagner was born on May 22, 1813. He was a famous German musician and writer. He wrote operas, or "music dramas." Unlike many writers of opera, he wrote the words and music for all his works. Wagner's music is known for being intense, complex, and... Read more