The bell rang. Jim’s things were already in his red book bag, which looked brown under the white lights of the classroom. Zip! Zip! He closed the bag. He stood up and let out a sigh, “Ahhhh.” It was loud enough that other students and the teacher noticed. Jim... Read more
By Caty Weaver Kelly Ryan was making dinner. Her ten-year-old son Benjamin was watching television in the living room. Or, at least she thought he was. “Benny-boy, do you want black beans or red beans?” “Red beans, Mama.” Ben had come up quietly right behind her. “Don’t do that,... Read more
What’s the best way to improve your English? Of course, there are many ways. But big, easy reading is one of the best. And it probably has the most research and evidence to support it. What is big, easy reading? First, you read lots of books and stories. That’s... Read more
Story Power Hot
CoursesIdeasLevelsMovies Step 2BPublicStep 2Stories July 17, 2019
Dorothy looked up into the sky. And she started to sing. Her soft voice rose up gently in the air. Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There’s a land that I’ve heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue And the dreams that... Read more
Hank would never make it to the concert. There were too many problems. It was icy cold outside. He sat under a cover in the back of his light blue Cadillac car. He was heading to the city of Canton, Ohio, to give a big concert on New Year’s... Read more
Mike waited and waited. Was it going to be good news or bad news? Who would be in, and who would be out? Would he make the team or not? Finally, the coach put two lists on the door of the school gym. Mike looked at the list for... Read more
Four men were walking across a field. They were carrying a body wrapped up in white cloth. Their strong, black hands and arms supported the body as they walked on. Other men, women, and children walked behind. And the tall green trees listened. They listened to the cries of... Read more
A manager at a company was interviewing a job candidate. The manager said, “We need a very responsible person for this job. We need someone who can take charge.” The candidate’s eyes lit up, and he responded with great enthusiasm. “Sir, your search ends here! I’m the one. In... Read more
Max is running late. He hurries out the door of his apartment, holding a cup of coffee. Then he sees his bus. “It’s leaving!” he cries. Max starts to run, but he trips over a rock and falls. His coffee flies out of his hands and spills all over... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 (Part 1) Jim sat into a soft, red chair. He looked down, and then he started to cry. “Am I asking too much?” he said. “I just want to be happy.” Dr. Jones gave Jim a box of paper tissues. “Thank you,” said Jim as he... Read more
A Coach for Life (Step 2)
CoursesIdeasLevelsListen!PublicSports Step 2AStep 2StoriesTop Picks July 16, 2019 1
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) The students looked at the score of the game. And they could not believe their eyes. But the numbers still read Notre Dame – 71, UCLA – 70. It was impossible, even unbelievable. Between January 30, 1971, and January 17, 1974, UCLA did not... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 As you read or listen to this, what is your body saying? Does your body speak a language? Who does it speak to? We know that body language speaks to others. But some scientists say this. “Your body language speaks to you!” Specifically, your body talks... Read more
By Bret Harte ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Roaring Camp was the noisiest gold mining town in California. More than one-hundred men from every part of the United States had come to that little camp. They stopped there for a short time on their way to getting rich. Many... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Most serious learners of English know about the TOEFL. But did you know that many American colleges and universities accept two major English tests? First, they accept the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL. And second, they accept the International English Language Testing... Read more
By Aesop ReadOasis Step 2 It was high noon. The sun burned bright and hot in the sky. The ground was baked and dry. In the burning heat, a Crow was standing on the hard ground. He tried to move his wings, but he could not fly. In fact,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 When Andrew Jackson was a little boy, he lived with his mother. Their home was in South Carolina, in the city of Charleston. He was eight years old when the trouble began. It was called the Revolutionary War. The king of England sent soldiers into every... Read more
By David Bello ReadOasis Step 2 Diego Velázquez (June 6, 1599 – to August 6, 1660) is one of the greatest painters of all time. With great skill he mixed color, light, space, and the rhythm of lines. He created scenes of historical and cultural significance. And he painted... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over. Ancient Jewish Saying. Doctors have thought about the connection between our mental and physical health for centuries. Until the 1800s, most believed that emotions were linked to disease. And doctors advised... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 How do you do big, easy reading? Well first, what is “easy”? Here’s where people make a big mistake. They think knowing 70% or 80% of the words in a story is easy. But in just 4 pages, 80% = 200 unknown words! That’s way too... Read more
This is Professor Thomas Robb from Kyoto Sangyo University, and he is one of the world’s renowned experts on extensive graded reading. Q: Tell us. Why should students do extensive reading? Dr. Robb: Why? Because it works. I’ve done it for Japanese as well. Really? Yeah. So I chose a mystery... Read more