Sciences

Happiness in 59 Seconds (Step 1)

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Sciences Step 1 Stories February 20, 2020

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

Grow Your Mindset!

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Sciences Step 2 Stories February 20, 2020

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

Habit Power (Step 3)

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Sciences Step 3 Stories Top Picks February 18, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Will walked into the large office area and looked around. He was carrying a cup of coffee, and he spilled some on his hand. “Ouch!” he said. “That’s hot!” He looked around, but all the other workers were busy. They didn’t even notice him. He walked... Read more

The Future of Water (Step 3)

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories February 18, 2020 5

ReadOasis Step 3 Rajan woke up to the sound of bird calls. He rubbed his eyes, and he heard his mother calling his name. “Rajan! Wake up! We need water for today.” Saying nothing, he got out of bed and got dressed. Then he walked outside, his dark brown... Read more

The Rules of Elite Success

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories Top Picks February 17, 2020 1

ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) The computer sat in a funny little room at the Lakeside School in Seattle. It was a gift from the Mother’s Club. Costing $3,000, it was expensive at the time. But the mothers wanted the students to have a computer so they could have... Read more

Gregor Mendel: Father of Genetics

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories February 5, 2020 0

By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 2 A great tree comes from a small seed, and from small beginnings come great things. Gregor wanted to solve a problem. It was a big and important problem. But he was not a big and important man. And he was not studying... Read more

The Singularity (Step 4)

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 4 Stories February 4, 2020 0

By Tek Smith ReadOasis Step 4 Ashley was born on March 7, 2027. It's her birthday today, and she is 18 years old. Her birthday present will be a new computer. Her budget is 1,000 dollars, and today (March 7, 2045), this money will buy her a very powerful... Read more

Violent Games and Young Minds

Arts B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories February 4, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 3 Millions of gamers were waiting for the day. On November 10, 2009, the game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" was released. In the first 24 hours, about 4.7 million copies were sold. And the first day of revenue in the US and UK reached $310... Read more

A Definition of Health (Step 4)

B3-Intermediate++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 4 Stories February 3, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 4 A medical doctor was examining a patient. He summarized his diagnosis in the following way. "You're in superb health, and you'll live to be 80." The patient responded, "But, doctor, I am 80 right now. The doctor replied, "See, now what did I tell you? But... Read more

Evolution by Natural Selection

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories February 2, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 3 Evolution is a process of how living things change over time. Natural selection is the basic mechanism of evolution. It was introduced by Charles Darwin in 1859. He compared natural selection with artificial selection. In artificial selection, humans choose traits for breeding. For example, we can... Read more

He’s Got the Blues (Step 2)

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories January 28, 2020

ReadOasis Step 2 Isaac Newton People of all kinds have had emotional problems. For example, Beethoven, Abraham Lincoln, and Isaac Newton all experienced trouble with the blues. That is, at times they had trouble with some form of depression. Look at the case of Newton. He was born into... Read more

DNA

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories January 27, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 A computer needs software, information that tells it how to operate. A computer cannot work without software. Our bodies work like this too. Imagine the body is a computer. It needs an information code to work. DNA is this code. The DNA code contains the instructions... Read more

The Dangers of Everest

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories January 23, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 Mount Everest is the highest mountain on earth. It stands between Nepal and Tibet in the Himalayan Mountain range. Everest is 8,848 meters high (29,029 feet). That is almost 9 kilometers -- or 26 Tokyo Towers. Everest is cold. In the warmest of summer, it is... Read more

20 Word Learning Tips

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Sciences Step 2 Stories January 22, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 Learning new words is a big part of learning any language. In English, well-educated native speakers know around 20,000 word families. That’s a lot! To read well in English without dictionary support, you need to know about 8,000 to 9,000 word families. That’s a lot, too.... Read more

The Beautiful Bird

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories January 22, 2020 2

ReadOasis Step 3 The forest was thick, and the grass was tall. We walked quietly and carefully by the bank of the river. We were in the shade of the trees, but the river danced with the light of the afternoon sun. "Watch out for snakes," my father said... Read more

ET and Intelligent Life

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Movies Step 2A Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories January 21, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 The film ET warmed the hearts of millions of children and adults. It was funny and exciting. And it told a hopeful story about love and friendship. In one scene, ET points his finger to the sky. And he says, "ET phone home." This simple phrase... Read more

What is Health?

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 1 Stories January 2, 2020 1

By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 1 A doctor was checking an older woman. When he finished, the doctor told her, "You're in good health. You'll live to be 80." "But doctor," the woman said, "I am 80 right now." With a smile, the doctor answered, "See, what did... Read more

Rules for Your Working Brain (Step 2)

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories December 26, 2019 2

ReadOasis Step 2 The bell rings. Students close their books and start packing their bags. Raising his voice, Professor Jones says, “Remember to read Chapter 6 before next class, and your first report is due in 3 days!” Some students groan. Mar y hurries back to her room. She’s... Read more

How to Feel Happier

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories December 26, 2019 0

By Dr. Richard Wiseman ReadOasis Step 2 Creative Commons photo by Benjamin Smith This exercise is all about the power of smiling. Obviously you smile when you’re happy. However, research shows the opposite is also true. Smiling actually makes you feel happier. So each day, put a smile on... Read more

Global Warming Blues

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories December 23, 2019

ReadOasis Step 3 The sun shined white-hot. John could feel it, almost burning his skin. The air was thick and hard to breathe. The noise and smell of cars surrounded him in a cloud. He looked at his watch. "I'm late," he said to himself, and he started to... Read more