By Daniel Pink (Author of A Whole New Mind) ReadOasis Step 3 Students choosing a college major should follow their interests. That’s easy. You should choose something you’re interested in, simple as that. If you try to choose your major based on getting a job when you graduate or... Read more
The Wisdom of Socrates (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 The man mixed the hemlock plant into a drink. It was a strong cup of poison. And then, a slave led the man into a room where Socrates was waiting. When Socrates saw the man, he said, "Now, good sir, you understand these things. What must... Read more
How to Acquire Language (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 How do humans acquire languages? The answer is remarkably simple. All people everywhere acquire languages in the same way. “We acquire languages by understanding messages.” This is called the “comprehension hypothesis,” and it was made famous by the distinguished linguist Dr. Stephen Krashen. I give this... Read more
Music: Good for Your Ears
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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Clive Wearing sits at the piano. He stretches out his hands and fingers. He takes a deep breath. Then he begins to play. His fingers strike the keys, and the piano hammers hit the strings. The strings vibrate in beautiful harmony and precise rhythm.... 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
ReadOasis Step 2 Adapted from Mahalo.com Mary and Joe are from Portland, Oregon. They are both sixteen years old, and they have many friends. But when they go to college, they may have to leave their hometown and friends. Mary likes the arts, especially music. And Joe likes English,... Read more
Confucius: An Icon of Chinese Culture
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By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 4 (Part 1) The teacher spoke his mind. He told the truth as he saw it, and this apparently offended leaders who had great power. And so, the teacher, whose name was Confucius, was forced into exile. He had to leave the state... Read more
By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 4 Philosophy is a discipline for thinking about the world, the universe, and people. Philosophy is abstract. It’s about ideas and thoughts, such as love, beauty, or truth. But philosophy also deals with the real world. Ethics is a part of philosophy, dealing... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 In his last year of high school, Alan didn't sleep much. Instead, he studied. Sometimes he crammed for exams all night. Sometimes he drank 3 or 4 cans of energy drinks so that he could study more. And he felt the agony of overwork. He got... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 One morning there was a loud knock at Dean Swift's door. His servant opened it. There was a man outside holding a fat duck that had just been killed. "Here's a present for Dean. It's from Mr. Boyle," the man said. He pushed the bird into... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) King John from the British Library There was once a king of England whose name was John. He was a bad king. He was strict and mean to his people. As long as he could have whatever he wanted, he did not care what... Read more
By Leo Tolstoy ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) One day, a king had a great idea. He thought that there were three things he should know to be successful. He should always know the right time to begin everything. He should always know who to listen to, and who... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 In his last year of high school, Alan didn't sleep much. Instead, he studied. Sometimes he studied all night. Sometimes he drank 3 or 4 cans of energy drinks so that he could study more. And he suffered. He got headaches, back pain, and he became... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Atheism is the belief that God does not exist. An atheist does not believe in God. Recently, atheism has become a topic in the news. This is because famous authors have written books on the topic. For example, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have sold well... Read more
By Aesop ReadOasis Step 4 It was a dark and gloomy night, deep in the Gir Forest of India. A great Lion was sleeping under a magnificent teak tree. As he slept and snored, his breath sounded like gusts of wind. Every time the Lion opened an eye and... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 About one hundred years after Alfred the Great, there was a king of England named Canute. King Canute was a Dane. But the Danes were not so fierce and cruel as they had been when they were at war with King Alfred. The men and officers... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 By Max L. Knowles A large group of people came together. It was a special day, a chance of a lifetime. They wanted to see a great man. He wasn’t a musician, actor, or sports star. He was a scientist, and his name was Albert Einstein.... Read more
By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 1 Five times they tried to kill him. Five times they failed. But today was different. It was a usual day. Gandhi was on his way to a meeting. He was going to talk to the people. He always talked about peace. But... Read more
Book Trailer by Daniel Coyle ReadOasis Step 5 (52 Tips for Improving your Skills) TIP #21: Think in vivid Images. Here’s a quick quiz. Which of the following is easier to do? 1. Take the tennis racket back in a straight horizontal line. 2. Take the tennis racket back... Read more
Culture of Innovation (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) It was 5 o’clock on a warm summer evening in July 2008. In a busy part of Tokyo, people were leaving their places of work. Some were going home, and others were going out to enjoy the nightlife. It was an ordinary night. But... Read more