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
Hank would never make it to the concert. There were too many problems. It was icy cold outside. He sat under a cover in the back of his light blue Cadillac car. He was heading to the city of Canton, Ohio, to give a big concert on New Year’s... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) It was the middle of winter. Galileo was old, weak, and sick. But he had to make the 200 mile (320 kilometer) trip to Rome in the cold. Why all this trouble? The Head of the Roman Church said so. Galileo must go on... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Doctor Harry Harlow made a difficult puzzle. At least he thought it was difficult. On a block of wood, he placed a metal catch called a hinge. A hinge is a piece of metal joined to a door. It allows the door to open... Read more
The Life of Vincent van Gogh
ArtsLevelsListen!ProtectedStep 2StoriesTimesTop Picks December 30, 2018 9
ReadOasis Step 2 Every Sunday morning, Vincent would put on his best clothes. When he was ready, he would walk to the small, red brick church where his father was the pastor. On the way, he would pass a burial ground, and he would see stones and grave markers.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Creative Commons Photo by Ludovic Peron Tiger Woods started playing golf when he was two years old. Basically from birth, Tiger was trained by his father to become a great golfer. As a boy, baseball marvel Ichiro Suzuki practiced with his father every day. The practice... Read more
Verbal, Visual, & Vocal Communication
LevelsListen!ProtectedStep 2StoriesStylesTop Picks December 16, 2018 1
ReadOasis Step 2 What is good communication? Psychologist Albert Mehrabian researches three elements of communication: words, tone of voice, and body language. More interestingly, Mehrabian studied how people communicate feelings and attitudes. If your body language and tone of voice disagree with your words, listeners tend to believe your body... Read more
Confucius: An Icon of Chinese Culture
IdeasLevelsProtectedStep 4StoriesTop Picks December 13, 2018 1
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
The Drama of Darwin (Step 3)
LevelsListen!ProtectedSciencesStep 3StoriesTop Picks December 11, 2018 0
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Annie Darwin was her father's joy, and she treated him with tender kindness. But in 1849 Annie became sick with severe fever. Charles struggled to cure her, but in 1851, Annie died and was buried in a small church in Worcestershire. The words on... Read more
By D.S. Aims ReadOasis Step 4 Tiger Woods started playing golf when he was two years old. Tiger was a mere toddler when his father began training him to become a great golfer. As a boy, baseball phenomenon Ichiro Suzuki practiced with his father every day. The practice sessions... Read more
By O. Henry ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. These pennies were saved one and two at a time. To save this money, she had to fight with the vegetable man, the meat man,... Read more
By Aesop ReadOasis Step 1 (Part 1) Illustration by Milo Winter The Boy was sleepy. It was not interesting staying in the fields all day and watching sheep. The sheep always did the same thing. They ate grass. They walked around, and they ate more grass. After that, they... Read more
Get Down to Business in English
BizBiz Step 2BCoursesLevelsProtectedStep 2StoriesTop Picks November 26, 2018 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
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
ReadOasis Step 4 (Part 1) Albert’s father pulled the compass out of his pocket. He placed it on the table. The needle moved and then stopped, facing north as it always did. It was pulled by an invisible force, a magnetic field. For young Albert, the magnetic field that... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4 (Part 1) Ideas on Trial Galileo was old, weak, and ill. But he had to make the 200 mile journey to Rome in the middle of winter. Why all this trouble? The leader of the Church, the Pope, demanded it. Galileo must go on trial for... Read more
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
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
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Johannes Gutenberg was in trouble. He borrowed money from investors, but he was about to lose it. He promised to make a special kind of mirror and sell lots of them. The mirrors were unusual. It was said that they could capture the holy... Read more
Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect (Step 2)
BizBiz Step 2BCoursesLevelsProtectedStep 2StoriesTop Picks November 12, 2018 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