By Aesop ReadOasis Step 2 It was high noon. The sun burned bright and hot in the sky. The ground was baked and dry. In the burning heat, a Crow was standing on the hard ground. He tried to move his wings, but he could not fly. In fact,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 There was once a Greek general named Aristomenes. As a military leader, he was brave and wise. All the Greeks loved him. One day, there was a big battle with the Spartans. Aristomenes had a great army. But they were defeated. The Spartans took Aristomenes. And... Read more
A Retelling of a Traditional Story ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Once there was a good old man who lived up on a mountain in Japan. All round his little house the mountain was flat and the ground was fertile. On this lovely piece of land grew wonderful fields... Read more
Adapted from Aesop ReadOasis Step 3 A big, white house stood in the middle of a field. Green grass surrounded the house, and behind it, the orange sun was setting over rolling hills. The air was calm at the beginning of a quiet evening. But inside the house there was... Read more
By Aesop Retold by ReadOasis ReadOasis Step 2 Two men were traveling together through a forest. As they walked, they enjoyed the smell of fresh flowers, the buzz of bees in the trees, and the songs of birds in the air. But then suddenly, the forest became strangely silent.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Painting By Angelica Kauffman It was a bright morning in the city of Rome a very long time ago. Two boys were standing in the garden of their summer home. They were looking at their mother and her friend. The two women were walking among the... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 There was once a shepherd-boy who kept his flock at a little distance from the village. He thought it would be funny to play a trick on the villagers, and he could have some fun at their expense. He ran toward the village crying out as loud... Read more
By AesopReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) The forest was quiet. The afternoon sun was hot, but the trees kept the forest cool. Birds weresinging in the trees. But then they stopped. They heard two big sounds. The first was the soundof a man running. The second was the sound of... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 (Part 1) There was once a kind man whose name was Oliver Goldsmith. Goldsmith had a gentle heart. He was always ready to help others. He was happy to share with them anything that he had. He had no family. So the people of his town... Read more
By Andrew Lang (The Orange Fairy Book) ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Creative Commons Photo by tsaiproject.jpg In a big forest in the north of America lived many wild animals of all kinds. They were always very polite when they met. But they kept a close watch on each... Read more
1,000 English Learners Read 300,000,000 Words
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!ProtectedStep 2StoriesStylesWhy Read Big
ReadOasis Step 2 In the past few years, 1,000 English learners have read over 300,000,000 words at ReadOasis.com. That's a big number -- maybe 40,000 hours -- or 4 years of reading! We asked these learners about their experiences with big reading, and below we share the responses we... Read more
From Fifty Famous People By James Baldwin Retold by ReadOasis.com ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) In the city of Corinth there once lived a wonderful musician whose name was Arion. He played a stringed instrument called a lyre. Arion played the lyre better and sang more sweetly than anyone.... Read more
From West African Folk-Tales By William H. Barker Retold by ReadOasis at Step 2 Africa Day By William Murphy (Creative Commons) A man had a very beautiful daughter. She was so lovely that people in all the villages called her "Morning Sunrise." Every young man who saw her wanted... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 John Marshall by Henry Inman It was a cool morning in the city of Richmond, Virginia. The streets started to fill up with people. They were going in and out of shops, doing their morning shopping. An old man went into the market to buy something.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Words are magic. Say a few words at a restaurant, and you get dinner! Say a few strong words like, “Hey stupid!” and you might get in a fight. Say the words, “I’m sorry,” and you might escape a fight. Say the words, “I love you,”... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 There was once a man who travelled all over the land in search of a wife. He saw young and old, rich and poor, pretty and plain, but he could not find one woman who met with his approval. At last he found a woman, young,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 A duck made her nest on some leaves. Then she laid her eggs. She sat on the eggs to keep them warm. Finally, the eggs broke open, one after the other. The little ducks came out. Only one egg was left. It was a very large... Read more
By Andrew Lang Retold by ReadOasis ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) A long time ago, there was a powerful king. He ruled over many people, but he did not care for them. In fact, he took whatever he wanted from anyone. One day, he took two great fields of... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Jack was a lazy boy who would not work to help his widowed mother. At last they both became very poor, and the old woman had to sell her only cow. With the money, they could buy food and stay alive. She sent Jack... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 A duck made her nest on some leaves. Then she laid her eggs. She sat on the eggs to keep them warm. Finally, the eggs broke open, one after the other. The little ducks came out. Only one egg was left. It was a very large... Read more