ReadOasis Step 2 A man was trying to understand the nature of time. In prayer, he asked God, "How long is a million years to you?" God answered, "A million years is like a minute." Then the man asked this. "God, how much is a million dollars to you?"... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 You are sitting in a nice restaurant. You are about to enjoy an expensive meal with a friend. But then a man sitting at the table next to you starts smoking. To make matters worse, he blows smoke in your face. Why? He doesn't want to... Read more
Experience Flow
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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Shaun White is a world famous snowboarder. Watch him slide down the pipe in slow motion. He goes up one side and flies into the air at an extreme height. Time stands still. Coming down, he gains speed and lands smoothly. Then he rises... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Rachel Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist and nature writer. She started her career working for the government. She worked to take care of fish, animals, and the environment. But in the 1950s, she became a full-time nature writer.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Professor Harry Harlow thought that he had created a difficult puzzle. He placed a hinge on a block of wood. A hook held the hinge closed. A pin blocked the movement of the hook. To open the hinge you first had to remove the... Read more
Happiness in 59 Seconds (Step 1)
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ReadOasis Step 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 took the... Read more
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
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
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
ReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) 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... Read more
ET and Intelligent Life
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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
Habit Power (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 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 over to... Read more
The Rules of Elite Success
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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
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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
Violent Games and Young Minds
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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
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
A Definition of Health (Step 4)
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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
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
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
Are Lectures Effective? (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 The teacher stood in front of the class. He put his notes on a tall stand. The stand was in the middle of the room, and the teacher could move around behind it. As he faced the class, there were many windows on his right. On... Read more