Top Picks

An Instinct for Language

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) The Kingfisher is a beautiful bird. Like many kinds of birds, the Kingfisher takes a special journey when the seasons change. Birds take this journey to find food and better weather. But this is the amazing part. Birds take this seasonal journey without learning... Read more

Music as Medicine

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ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) You are watching TV. On the screen, you see the two strong hands of a man. In his left hand, he holds a book of matches. In his right hand, he holds a single match. With his right hand, he strikes the match on... Read more

Don’t Read = Can’t Read

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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

Get Down to Business in English

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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

The Gift of the Magi

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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

The Boy Who Cried Wolf (Step 1)

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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

The Life of Vincent van Gogh

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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

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

Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect

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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

Drifting Cowboy: Hank Williams

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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

Be a Starter: Poke the Box

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ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. Pablo Picasso, Artist. It is a basic secret of success. To get skill, we need to do new things. Depending on the task, doing something... Read more

Habit Power (Step 3)

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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 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

Photo Art: Composition (1 in a Series)

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ReadOasis Step 2 Cameras and photos are everywhere today. For example, Flickr is a photo sharing site. People put thousands of photos on Flickr every minute. And some of these photos are excellent. The photographer Ansel Adams once said this. "You don't take a photograph, you make it." This... Read more

Lady Sings the Blues

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ReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees These sad words open the song “Strange Fruit.” The song was written by Abel Meeropol, and it... Read more

A Simple Recipe for Learning English

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ReadOasis Step 1 To learn English, we need words. Most English native speakers know between 12,000 and 20,000 words. Shakespeare used 31,534 words. And he probably knew more. How many words do you know? Naomi knows 95% of the words in Alice in Wonderland. She understands it without a... Read more

Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect (Step 2)

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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

Verbal, Visual, & Vocal Communication

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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

The Trial of Galileo (Step 2)

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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

Driving Motivation (Step 2)

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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