Big reading | ReadOasis

23 Gold Medals

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ReadOasis Step 1 Michael flies into the water. SWOOSH! His arms move fast. His legs kick with power. His long body flows in the pool. He reaches the wall. He turns and pushes off. The crowd cheers. Michael swims to the finish. SPLASH! He touches the wall. First place!... Read more

Ayumu is Superhuman

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ReadOasis Step 1 Ayumu speeds down the hill. Then he shoots up the bank. He jumps and spins into the air. And he lands — so clean and stylish. The TV announcer says, "That is super human!" Then they waited. The score appeared. "YAY!" shouted the crowd. And on... Read more

Marta — Soccer’s Shining Star

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ReadOasis Step 1 Marta gets the ball. She turns and spins. Defenders pull her. But she's too fast and strong. She breaks free and shoots. "GOAL!" The crowd cries, "MARTA! MARTA!" Marta made history. In the World Cup, Pelé scored 12 goals. More than any man. But Marta scored... Read more

Pelé — The King of Soccer

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ReadOasis Step 1 The boy stepped onto the green grass. He was just 17. He looked up at the big, rough men running around him. And feeling no fear, he started to run. Suddenly, the ball came. The boy caught it on his chest. He controlled it. He lifted... Read more

Are Stories a Cultural Universal?

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ReadOasis Step 4 The following is a short excerpt from a video with story expert Jonathan Gottschall. See the video below. Jay Allison: How universal are stories across culture and across time? Jonathan Gottschall: Well, it's pretty amazing... If you could get in a time machine and travel anywhere... Read more

Reading Power Wins Big on TOEIC Test

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ReadOasis Step 2 Kenta looked at the envelope. His test score was inside. He opened it and read the words: "TOEIC Official Score Report. Total Score: 290." For a first-year university student, the score was low. Like all Japanese, Kenta had studied English for 6 years in junior high... Read more

A Test of Values – You Make the Call

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ReadOasis Step 2 Jordan stood in line waiting for the doors to open. He felt nervous, but ready. Today's test would decide his future. If he passed, he would enter Canada's best university. If he failed, he didn't know what he would do. Suddenly, somebody touched Jordan on the... Read more

How to Avoid Stupid Cultural Mistakes!

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ReadOasis Step 2 On his first meeting in Korea, Earl came late. But he entered the meeting room with a big smile on his face. And there stood Mr. Kim. For a few long seconds, the room filled up with an uneasy silence. Then Earl gave Mr. Kim a... Read more

Enjoy Your Freedom — Remember Juneteenth

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ReadOasis Step 3 Solomon Northup enjoyed his freedom. He owned land. He read great books. He played music on the violin. One day, two men approached Solomon. They offered him a job to play music in New York. Solomon accepted the work. He didn't know that it was a... Read more

Number 42 Forever

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ReadOasis Step 1 Jackie picked up the note. The paper smelled like hate. Then he read the words. "WE ARE GOING TO KILL YOU." "Why?" Jackie thought. "I just want to play baseball." Long ago, baseball wasn't fair. No black players played in the Major Leagues. Then came Jackie... Read more

Words for Breaking Stereotypes

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ReadOasis Step 2 When Steve met Mariko in Tokyo, he was in for a surprise. She shook his hand. She smiled. She spoke with confidence in a big voice. And she gave clear and strong opinions. They ate lunch at a sushi place. Mariko smiled and said, "I hate... Read more

Write with Classic Style

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ReadOasis Step 3 Regarding writing, maybe you have heard your teacher say, "Don't use 'I' in academic writing." Is this correct? Do academic writers always avoid "I?" Maybe you have even heard this: "If you use 'I' then you are being selfish!" Is that right? The following answers may... Read more

5 Stages of Culture Blues

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ReadOasis Step 3 Corey loved Japan. But not today. The honeymoon was over. He had enjoyed sushi, ramen, temples, and gardens. But today, he was tired. He tried to speak Japanese. But the words didn't come out. He missed his family and friends. He missed home. Corey started to... Read more

The Magic of Hidden Culture

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ReadOasis Step 2 On his first day in Spain, Harry got lost in Madrid. He thought: "These streets aren't like home in Toronto." 500-year-old buildings. Gray stone streets. Red meat hanging in shop windows. The smell of fresh bread. The sound of a guitar in the park. "So, this... Read more

Cultural Quest — 10 Key Questions

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ReadOasis Step 2 The alarm sounded. "Beep, beep, beep!" The morning sun shone into Zoe's room. As she opened her eyes, she saw her plane ticket. Tokyo. "Oh my," she said to herself. "The day is here! I'm really going." Today, Zoe will fly for the first time. And... Read more

The Good Speaker’s Secret

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ReadOasis Step 2 Gary stood in front of the class. He looked at all his students. He opened his mouth to speak. But the students didn't listen. They talked to each other. He started speaking again. "Today, I want to talk about The Old Man and the Sea. Do... Read more

Where Did Tetris Come From?

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ReadOasis Step 2 Tetris stands as one of the most popular games of all time. The game was created in 1984 by a Russian software engineer, Alexey Pajitnov. He wanted to make a game that was simple to play but had a lot of variety. Though the game rose... Read more

A Colorful Cultural Connection

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ReadOasis Step 3 Mia and Sam lived in Los Angeles. Mia's family came from Mexico. Sam's family came from Japan. Raised in different cultures, they grew up learning different things. Mia loved spicy food and danced to Latino music. She often greeted people with a hug. Sam enjoyed sushi... Read more

12 Rules for Crossing Cultures

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ReadOasis Step 3 Mo climbed up the rocky mountain. Suddenly, a rock broke off under his foot. He grabbed onto a small tree and watched the rock bounce down and down. He took a deep breath and looked up. And he saw the mountain top covered in smoke, fire,... Read more

Zombies in English Class

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ReadOasis Step 1 John sat down. He opened his English book. But he felt sleepy. He closed his eyes. And then he heard a loud BANG! He looked up. He saw a dirty, green zombie. The zombie walked over to John. The zombie came closer and closer. It opened... Read more