Styles

Dating Advice from the Rabbi (Step 2)

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 2 Stories Styles April 3, 2020 0

A Joke Told by Marty Adickman ReadOasis Step 2 So it's Friday night in the synagogue, and during the course of the service, the rabbi standing at the pulpit is looking out over the back of the congregation. And in the very back he sees a young man who's... Read more

Don’t Read = Can’t Read

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 2 Stories Styles Top Picks April 1, 2020 4

ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) “A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.” Mark Twain Mark Twain in the Tesla Science Lab Mark Twain was the funniest man in America. He went on adventures. He travelled the world. He met presidents and kings. And... Read more

How to Know if a Book’s Level is Right for You

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 1 Stories Styles April 1, 2020 6

By Randall Short ReadOasis Step 1 At ReadOasis, you can read lots of short stories. Short stories are great because you can read to the end without stopping. You may keep on reading even if the words are difficult and the story is hard to understand. You know that... Read more

Push-ups and Health

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 2 Stories Styles March 30, 2020 2

ReadOasis Step 2 During the 1930s and 40s, Jack LaLanne became famous for fitness. He was one of the first people to open a modern health and fitness club. He was one of the first to get athletes to work out with weights. And he was one of the... Read more

Knowledge and Freedom

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Ideas Listen!Protected Step 1 Stories Styles March 23, 2020 8

ReadOasis Step 1 Be careful of the man who really knows how to be a fool. Alec Fronimites Knowledge is power. Through science, we have learned to fly. We make medicine and build great cities. We use the power of nature. And we fill our cities with energy. Through... Read more

The Geisha Artist

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 1 Stories Styles March 22, 2020 2

By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 1 Geisha are traditional performing artists from Japan. These women are good at various Japanese arts, such as traditional music, dancing, and song. The word "geisha" comes from Chinese words that mean "art" (GEI) and "person" (SHA). So "geisha" actually means "artist." In the... Read more

Speak Better with Gestures

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 2 Stories Styles March 21, 2020 7

ReadOasis Step 2 Julie is visiting the Spanish city of Madrid with her friends. One night, they decide to go to a beautiful restaurant in the Main Plaza of the city. Julie studied Spanish in high school, and she can communicate fairly well. But tonight she is having trouble... Read more

Why Ban Smoking in Public?

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories Styles March 20, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 More than twenty US states ban smoking in public places. And many countries around the world also have similar bans. A new study shows the strongest evidence yet that smoke-free laws can reduce heart disease, which is a major effect of tobacco smoke. The study took... Read more

The Way of Green Tea (Step 1)

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 1 Stories Styles March 11, 2020 7

Zoe Nova (simplifying Mahalo.com) ReadOasis Step 1 People have been drinking green tea for about 5,000 years. Green tea came from China. And today it is produced mainly in China and Japan. Green tea is different from other kinds of tea. The leaves are not processed much. So green... Read more

The Doll Festival (Step 4)

B3-Intermediate++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 4 Stories Styles March 10, 2020 0

By Zoe Nova ReadOasis Step 4 Japan is a land of festivals, and on the third day of the month of March, many Japanese families celebrate the Doll Festival, which is called "Hina Matsuri” in Japanese. This special day is also called Girl's Day, a day when families pray... Read more

Communication on a Date

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 3 Stories Styles March 9, 2020 4

ReadOasis Step 3 A boy was about to go on his first date. He was worried about what to talk about, so he asked his father for advice. The father said, "My son, there are three subjects that always work. I suggest that you talk about food, family, and... Read more

Ichiro and the Kings of Baseball

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Protected Sports Step 2A Step 2 Stories Styles March 8, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 It often happens in sport. A player just knows he will bring his team the victory. Is this true for Ichiro, that baseball wonder from Japan? Many people doubted his powers during the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC). He struggled under the pressure. He failed many... Read more

The Honest Truth About Irony

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Step 3 Stories Styles March 7, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Many of us know the story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. A young husband and wife love each other deeply. But they are too poor to buy each other gifts at Christmas. After much thought, the man decides to sell his... Read more

Throwing Shoes for Protest

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Culture Step 2A Listen!Protected Step 2 Stories Styles March 6, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 In recent times, shoe throwing has become an international form of protest. On Monday, February 2, 2009, a young man threw a shoe at Wen Jiabao, the Prime Minister of China. The event took place at Cambridge University in the UK. The young man was arrested... Read more

How to Do Big, Easy Reading!

A1-Basic BNC Levels CEFR Levels Public Step 1 Stories Styles March 5, 2020 1

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

5 Amazing Facts About Reading

A2-Beginner+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 Stories Styles March 4, 2020 4

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

Extensive Reading, Because it Works!

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 Stories Styles TV Why Read Big February 29, 2020 2

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

Reading Should Be Fun!

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Public Step 2 Stories Styles TV Why Read Big February 28, 2020 1

Interview with Dr. Charles Browne, Professor, Meiji Gakuin University. This is “Charles the Great,” from Meiji Gakuin University, and of course, English Central and many other places. And affectionately known as “Charlie.” We are going to ask him a couple of questions about extensive reading. first... Read more

Black History Month

B1-Intermediate BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Culture Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories Styles February 27, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 February is Black History Month in the US. The month honors important people and events about Africans who are spread out around the world. This tradition began in the US. The US and Canada celebrate black history in February, and the UK does so in October.... Read more

Word Power is Life

A3-Beginner++BNC Levels CEFR Levels NGSL Quizzes Public Step 2 Stories Styles Why Read Big Words February 18, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 2 We all have something to say. A boy likes a girl, and so he says, “I like you!” A traveller gets lost, so he asks a stranger, “Can you show me the way?” A woman sees a man walk in front of a bus, and she... Read more