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
From Five-Minute Mysteries ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) It was dark outside, but the lights at the Brown household were burning bright. In this usually quiet neighborhood, the Browns were throwing a big and lively party. From the street, passersby could see people standing in the living room, holding... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Long, long ago, there lived a king and queen. They had everything to make them happy. They had servants, lands, gold, and the finest castle. But more than anything, they wanted a child. But they did not have one. Finally, after many years, they... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Battle of Gaugamela (Photo Wikipedia) Alexander, the king of Macedon, wanted to become the king of the whole world. He led his armies through many countries. He destroyed cities. He burned towns. He killed thousands of people. Then, far in the East, he came... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 By Laura Richards Retold by ReadOasis.com Once upon a time, two children came to the house of a sailor man, who lived beside the salt sea; and they found the sailor man sitting in his doorway knotting ropes. “How do you do?” asked the sailor man.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 By Aesop There once was a bad dog. He would run after people and try to eat them without any warning. He was a great trouble to everyone who came to his owner's house. So his owner put a bell around his neck so that people... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 There was a Caliph of Persia whose name was Al Mamoun. He had two sons. He wanted them to be honest and noble men. So he found a wise man to be their teacher. The teacher's name was Al Farra. One day, after their lesson, Al... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) There was once a Ruler of Cordova, a country that is now in Northern Africa. The Ruler’s name was Al Mansour. One day, a strange merchant came to him. The merchant had diamonds and pearls. He had brought them from beyond the sea. The... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Jack fell asleep under a pile of books. When he woke up, he pushed away the pile and said, “Oh no! Tomorrow’s test! I gotta study more words and rules.” And so he did, all night long. Mary sat in an easy chair, enjoying a light... Read more
By Andrew Lang ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) A needle is used for sewing, and a darning needle is used for simple jobs, like fixing holes in socks. In this story, the Darning needle thinks too highly of herself, giving us a story about pride and vanity. There was... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4 One warm day a Deer went down to a brook to get a drink. The stream was smooth and clear, and he could see himself in the water. He looked at his horns and was very proud of them, for they were large and long and... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 A young engineer just finished his studies. And he was looking for work. He got an interview at General Electric (GE), one of the biggest companies in the world. The interview went well. But at the end, the man from GE said, "Let me ask you... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Alexander the Great was the king of Macedon. His ambition was to become the master of the whole world. He led his armies through many countries. He plundered cities, he burned towns, he destroyed thousands of lives. At last, far in the East, he came to... Read more
Adapted from Aesop ReadOasis Step 4 One day a Shepherd saw a fat Pig walking about in a field. The Shepherd left his sheep for a moment and quietly walked towards the Pig. But the Pig saw the Shepherd coming, and it screamed, “Oink, oink, oink” and ran away.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 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. He was dressed in simple... Read more
By Hans Christian Andersen Retold at ReadOasis Step 3 Once upon a time, there was a prince. He was miserable and lonesome, and he wanted to get married. But he had to marry a princess, but not just any princess. She had to be a real princess. He roamed... Read more
By X. B. Saintine ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Many years ago, a poor man was shut up in one of the great prisons of France. His name was Charney, and he was very sad and unhappy. He had been put into prison wrongfully, and it seemed that no... Read more
By Hans Christian Andersen ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) It felt like the coldest night of the year. The snow was falling hard, and it was almost dark. If you listened carefully, you could hear the snow softly hitting the ground and the sound of distant footsteps crunching on... Read more
Adapted from Aesop ReadOasis Step 3 Rabbits, as you know, are very shy. Even a little shadow sends them running away to a hiding place. Take, for example, the story of the Rabbits who thought it was better to die than to be in fear all the time. One... Read more
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