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Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect

B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Step 3 Stories Top Picks September 5, 2019 2

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

Speak Not Ill of Thine Competitors

B2-Intermediate+Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 4 Stories August 18, 2019 1

By Tom Peters (Creative Commons) ReadOasis Step 4 Does this require more explanation than the Golden Rule (“Do unto others ... ”): Badmouthing competitors diminishes you. Period. “Win” with better product. “Win” with better relationships. “Win” when your industry is prospering and has a good reputation. (Think consultants, ad... Read more

The Ice Cream Man

A3-Beginner++Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Step 1 Stories August 12, 2019 3

ReadOasis Step 1 Tom Carvel invented soft-serve ice cream. Carvel was born in Greece on July 14, 1906, and he moved to America when he was a child. As a young man, he borrowed $15 from his future wife Agnes, and he started selling ice cream from a truck.... Read more

Lean In

B1-Intermediate Biz Biz Step 2A BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Protected Step 2 Stories August 5, 2019 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

Work on Your Story!

B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 4 Stories July 29, 2019 1

By Tom Peters (Creative Commons) ReadOasis Step 4 He/she who has the best story wins! In life! In business! The White House! Consider the following: “A key — perhaps the key — to leadership is the effective communication of a story.” — Howard Gardner, Leading Minds: An Anatomy of... Read more

Big Time Car Trouble

B1-Intermediate Biz Biz Step 2A BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Protected Step 2 Stories July 22, 2019 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

Make Meaning in Business

B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 3 Stories July 14, 2019 0

By Guy Kawasaki ReadOasis Step 3 The first thing I figured out and learned sometimes the hard way, about entrepreneurship is that the core, the essence of entrepreneurship is about making meaning. Many, many people start companies to make money, the quick flip, the dot-com phenomena. And I have... Read more

Winner Take All

Biz BNC Levels C1-Advanced CEFR Levels Protected Step 5 Stories July 9, 2019 0

Book Trailer by Dambisa Moyo ReadOasis Step 5 In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, commodity prices increased 150 percent. Over the last twenty years, rising resource demand and constrained commodity supply have increased global tensions and triggered over 20 wars and conflicts worldwide, with more inevitably to... Read more

A Culture of Bribery

B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 4 Stories July 8, 2019 0

ReadOasis Step 4 (Part 1) It was two hours before closing time. But Mr. Lee had to ask his customers to leave the store. “I’m very sorry. You have to leave now. I have special business to take care of.” His wife looked sad. "The store is so busy,... Read more

Born a Businessman (Step 3)

B3-Intermediate++Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 3 Stories July 1, 2019 0

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

Daniel Pink’s Advice about Work

AWL B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 4 Stories July 1, 2019 0

ReadOasis Step 4 The scariest word in the economy right now is the word routine. Anything that is routine is disappearing from this country, and routine is work you can reduce to a spec sheet, to a script, to a formula, to a series of steps that has a... Read more

Stop Multitasking

B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 5 Stories June 24, 2019 2

By Fast Company and Gina Trapani ReadOasis Step 5 A human’s ability to do several things at once, it’s a wonder of biology. It means we can eat a burrito while we walk down the street and listen to music and daydream about the weekend, all at the same... Read more

Get Up Earlier than the Next Guy

A3-Beginner++Biz Biz Step 2A BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Protected Step 2 Stories June 24, 2019 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

Get Down to Business in English

B1-Intermediate Biz Biz Step 2B BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Protected Step 2 Stories Top Picks June 17, 2019 1

ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) A Big Decision As usual, the boss spoke clearly and in short sentences. “Okay, it’s decided. This meeting is over. You all know what to do.” One by one, the managers closed their notebooks and stood up. There were no jokes and no laughter.... 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 June 16, 2019 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

The Way to Wealth

B1-Intermediate Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 3 Stories June 3, 2019 1

By Benjamin Franklin ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Benjamin Franklin By David Martin "The Way to Wealth" is an essay written by Benjamin Franklin in 1758. In it, Franklin focuses on two main ideas. The first is hard work, which he often calls “industry.” For example, an industrious person... Read more

Playing Global Business on a Level Field

B2-Intermediate+Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Step 3 Stories June 3, 2019 0

ReadOasis Step 3 A Review of The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century By Thomas L. Friedman. We are entering a new era where the world is one massive marketplace. Old powers had the advantage, but the playing field is leveling now. New powers are... Read more

The Rich Lawyer

A1-Basic Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 1 Stories June 2, 2019

ReadOasis Step 1 The United Way is a group that helps people. The United Way might call you. And they might ask you for a donation of money. Your donation might help build a school in the Philippines. It might help train people for work in the United States.... Read more

Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect (Step 2)

Biz Biz Step 2B BNC Levels Courses Protected Step 2 Stories Top Picks May 29, 2019 1

ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) 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 answered with great confidence. “Sir, your search ends... Read more

The Longest Railway

Biz Biz Step 2B BNC Levels Courses Protected Step 2 Stories May 21, 2019 0

ReadOasis Step 2 VOA Learning English reports that China has paid for the longest railway in the world. It's 13,000 kilometers long! The longest railway in the world is now open. In December, a train carrying products from China arrived in Spain’s capital, Madrid. The railway is one of the most recent transportation projects that China has financed in Europe. The train took three weeks to go from the city of Zhejiang in China to Madrid in Spain. It takes a ship... Read more