World Cup 2011 — Japan vs. USA
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ReadOasis Step 1 All eyes look at the score. USA 2, Japan 1. The clock runs down. Only 3 minutes left in extra time! Will the USA win again? The air is electric. Japan gets a corner kick. Miyama kicks a low ball to Sawa. Sawa flips the ball... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Michael flies into the water. SWOOSH! His arms move fast. His legs kick with power. His long body flows in the pool. He reaches the wall. He turns and pushes off. The crowd cheers. Michael swims to the finish. SPLASH! He touches the wall. First place!... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Maradona passed the ball. He ran for the goal. An English player tried to kick it away. But the ball flew back to Maradona. Maradona jumped high. He pushed the ball into the goal. The crowd exploded! RAAAAAH! English players cried to the judge. "He used... Read more
ET and Intelligent Life
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ReadOasis Step 3 In recent years, American military pilots have reported amazing stories. They saw strange objects in the sky. We call these things "unidentified flying objects" (UFO's). These objects moved in ways never seen before. Major news outlets showed images of the objects. One American Air Force officer... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Ayumu speeds down the hill. Then he shoots up the bank. He jumps and spins into the air. And he lands — so clean and stylish. The TV announcer says, "That is super human!" Then they waited. The score appeared. "YAY!" shouted the crowd. And on... Read more
Marta — Soccer’s Shining Star
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ReadOasis Step 1 Marta gets the ball. She turns and spins. Defenders pull her. But she's too fast and strong. She breaks free and shoots. "GOAL!" The crowd cries, "MARTA! MARTA!" Marta made history. In the World Cup, Pelé scored 12 goals. More than any man. But Marta scored... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 The boy stepped onto the green grass. He was just 17. He looked up at the big, rough men running around him. And feeling no fear, he started to run. Suddenly, the ball came. The boy caught it on his chest. He controlled it. He lifted... Read more
Break Free from Bad Academic Writing!
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ReadOasis Step 2 The interviewer's question hit hard. "Why do academics write so poorly? Is it on purpose?" Wait a minute! Academics are bad writers? How could that be? They're smart, right? They stand as good examples of clear thinking, don't they? But the answer hit back harder. It... Read more
Are Stories a Cultural Universal?
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ReadOasis Step 4 The following is a short excerpt from a video with story expert Jonathan Gottschall. See the video below. Jay Allison: How universal are stories across culture and across time? Jonathan Gottschall: Well, it's pretty amazing... If you could get in a time machine and travel anywhere... Read more
Reading Power Wins Big on TOEIC Test
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ReadOasis Step 2 Kenta looked at the envelope. His test score was inside. He opened it and read the words: "TOEIC Official Score Report. Total Score: 290." For a first-year university student, the score was low. Like all Japanese, Kenta had studied English for 6 years in junior high... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Jordan stood in line waiting for the doors to open. He felt nervous, but ready. Today's test would decide his future. If he passed, he would enter Canada's best university. If he failed, he didn't know what he would do. Suddenly, somebody touched Jordan on the... Read more
How to Avoid Stupid Cultural Mistakes!
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ReadOasis Step 2 On his first meeting in Korea, Earl came late. But he entered the meeting room with a big smile on his face. And there stood Mr. Kim. For a few long seconds, the room filled up with an uneasy silence. Then Earl gave Mr. Kim a... Read more
Enjoy Your Freedom — Remember Juneteenth
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ReadOasis Step 3 Solomon Northup enjoyed his freedom. He owned land. He read great books. He played music on the violin. One day, two men approached Solomon. They offered him a job to play music in New York. Solomon accepted the work. He didn't know that it was a... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Jackie picked up the note. The paper smelled like hate. Then he read the words. "WE ARE GOING TO KILL YOU." "Why?" Jackie thought. "I just want to play baseball." Long ago, baseball wasn't fair. No black players played in the Major Leagues. Then came Jackie... Read more
Words for Breaking Stereotypes
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ReadOasis Step 2 When Steve met Mariko in Tokyo, he was in for a surprise. She shook his hand. She smiled. She spoke with confidence in a big voice. And she gave clear and strong opinions. They ate lunch at a sushi place. Mariko smiled and said, "I hate... Read more
Write with Classic Style
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ReadOasis Step 3 Regarding writing, maybe you have heard your teacher say, "Don't use 'I' in academic writing." Is this correct? Do academic writers always avoid "I?" Maybe you have even heard this: "If you use 'I' then you are being selfish!" Is that right? The following answers may... Read more
5 Stages of Culture Blues
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ReadOasis Step 3 Corey loved Japan. But not today. The honeymoon was over. He had enjoyed sushi, ramen, temples, and gardens. But today, he was tired. He tried to speak Japanese. But the words didn't come out. He missed his family and friends. He missed home. Corey started to... Read more
The Magic of Hidden Culture
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ReadOasis Step 2 On his first day in Spain, Harry got lost in Madrid. He thought: "These streets aren't like home in Toronto." 500-year-old buildings. Gray stone streets. Red meat hanging in shop windows. The smell of fresh bread. The sound of a guitar in the park. "So, this... Read more
Cultural Quest — 10 Key Questions
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ReadOasis Step 2 The alarm sounded. "Beep, beep, beep!" The morning sun shone into Zoe's room. As she opened her eyes, she saw her plane ticket. Tokyo. "Oh my," she said to herself. "The day is here! I'm really going." Today, Zoe will fly for the first time. And... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Gary stood in front of the class. He looked at all his students. He opened his mouth to speak. But the students didn't listen. They talked to each other. He started speaking again. "Today, I want to talk about The Old Man and the Sea. Do... Read more