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 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
From More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt ReadOasis Step 4 Just One Lion (Wikimedia) One day a young Lion came suddenly upon a Wolf. The Wolf was not able to get away, so he said to the Lion: “Please, Great Lion, could you take me to your den,... Read more
By Aesop Retold by ReadOasis ReadOasis Step 2 A Dog and a Rooster were best friends. They wanted to see the world, so they decided to leave the farm. They set out on their trip, going along the road that led into the woods. The two friends traveled along... Read more
By Andrew Lang ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) There was once a poor farmer who lived in Denmark. He and his wife owned a very good farm, but they had no children. They were often sad because they had no one to give their possessions to when they died.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 So you want to improve your word power. But what words should you learn first? You can waste time learning uncommon words first. But it’s smart to learn the most common words at the beginning. The top 2,000 words of English make up 80% of all... Read more
BeeOasis Step 4 Once upon a time, a Blind Man and a Man who could see were traveling together. When it came night, they rode into a meadow, dismounted, and lay down to sleep until morning. Before dawn, as they were about to start on their way again, the... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 It was a cloudy and rainy day. Men sat high up on horses, riding through the stone streets around the king's castle. The metal sound of the horseshoes bounced off the walls of old buildings. At the end of the street, a metal worker was putting... Read more
Knocking on Heaven’s Door
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ReadOasis Step 2 He came out of nowhere. In 1961, he just appeared in New York City, wanting to do music. And in one short year, he held a record contract in his hand. By the middle of the 1960s, he had reached the top of the pop music... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 A long time ago, two men were traveling together. One man was blind, and the other could see. After a long day of travel, the sun went down. The air became cool, and the sky turned dark red. Just before dark, the men rode into a... Read more
From English Fairy Tales By Flora Annie Steel, 1918 Retold by ReadOasis.com at ReadOasis Step 2 Donkeys by Aurelien Guichard (Creative Commons) Once upon a time there was a boy named Jack. He lived with his mother, and they were poor. The old woman made her living by sewing,... Read more
From Fables from Afar By Catherine T. Bryce ReadOasis Step 2 Ohara Koson, 1927. (Wikimedia) One night a little monkey went to a well to get a drink. As he bent over, he saw the moon shining on the water. In great fear he ran to the other monkeys.... Read more
By O. Henry ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) (Public Domain Content Adapted from Voice of America) Author O. Henry (Image, Wikipedia) Pitcher, who worked in the office of Harvey Maxwell, broker, usually allowed his face to show no feeling. This morning he allowed his face to show interest and... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Many years ago, at the foot of a very high mountain there lived a little boy. His name was Theseus. Theseus was from an important family. His father was the king, and his grandfather was a brave and wise leader in the country. Theseus... 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
Why Read Big? Reason 1 — Ease & Enjoyment
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The famous professor of Psychology, B.F. Skinner said, “We shouldn’t teach great books; we should teach a love for reading”. I’m Joseph Poulshock, PhD., and I am asking the question, “Why read big?” Reason number is because of “Ease and Enjoyment”. To learn English, to learn a foreign language... Read more
Why Read Big? Reason 2 — Big Reading Works!
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Time Magazine asked the famous businessman, Bill Gates if he thought reading helped him become more successful. And he said, “Yes absolutely! Every book teaches me something new or helps me see things differently.” My name is Joseph Poulshock aka Dr. Shock, and I’m asking the question, “Why Read... Read more