ReadOasis Step 2 An e-book is an electronic book. People can read e-books on personal computers and mobile phones. A special machine also exists just for e-reading. It is called an e-book reader. The Sony Reader is one popular e-reader. But in November 2007, Amazon.com created an e-reader, too. It... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 "I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford will be sworn in as President at that hour in this office." These words were spoken by President Richard Nixon on August 8, 1974 on national television. They came after many months of scandal... Read more
A Big Idea: Critique of Pure Reason
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ReadOasis Step 3 By Will Durant (Re-presented in Basic and Essential English) Kant’s Critique is not a criticism, but a critical analysis. Kant is not attacking "Pure Reason." He hopes to show its potential. He wants to praise it above knowledge that is not pure and that comes through... Read more
Are Lectures Effective? (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 The professor stood in front of the class. He put his notes on a tall stand. The stand was in the middle of the room, and the professor could move around behind it. As he faced the class, there were many windows on his right. On... Read more
By Cana Short ReadOasis Step 2 Why should we study history? Why should we learn about the past? What does history have to do with our lives today? These are questions that many people have about history. And it's okay to ask them. Questions like these bother a lot... Read more
Simple Steps for Learning English
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By Ashley J. Hastings, PhD President, Global Language Education Service, Inc. Many people around the world are studying English. They need English to succeed in work, school, or relationships. Common sense tells us that we can learn to read a language more quickly if we can already understand it well.... Read more
Self-Testing Helps You Remember
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ReadOasis Step 2 Dr. Katherine Rawson says that taking practice tests can help you remember information. This is especially true if the practice test pushes you to recall something from memory. Rawson said, "It's surprising that we know very little about why testing improves memory." This is surprising because... Read more
Extensive Reading, Because it Works!
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This is Professor Thomas Robb from Kyoto Sangyo University, and he is one of the world’s renowned experts on extensive graded reading. Q: Tell us. Why should students do extensive reading? Dr. Robb: Why? Because it works. I’ve done it for Japanese as well. Really? Yeah. So I chose a mystery novel... Read more
3 Questions for Your New Year’s Resolution (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 At the start of every year, millions of people make new resolutions. This means that they promise themselves to do something differently, or to attempt something new. For example, many people want to lose weight, quit smoking, or change another bad habit. Others want to learn... Read more
Can International Students Work in the US?
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ReadOasis Step 2 International students can work for the college or university that they attend. They can also work for a business at the school. But the business must directly serve students at that school. For example, you could work at the bookstore. But you could not work for... Read more
Rules for Your Working Brain (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 The bell rings. Students close their books and start packing their bags. Raising his voice, Professor Jones says, “Remember to read Chapter 6 before next class, and your first report is due in 3 days!” Some students groan. Mar y hurries back to her room. She’s... Read more
By Cielo Vera ReadOasis Step 4 Gillian Lynne could not sit still. She was eight years old now, and her teachers were concerned about her performance at school. Perhaps she had a learning disorder. (Today a psychologist might say that she had attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, but that... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Most serious learners of English know about the TOEFL. But did you know that many American colleges and universities accept two major English tests? First, they accept the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL. And second, they accept the International English Language Testing... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Julie is visiting the Spanish city of Madrid with her friends. One night, they decide to go to a beautiful restaurant in the Main Plaza of the city. Julie studied Spanish in high school, and she can communicate fairly well. But tonight she is having trouble... Read more
The Honest Truth About Irony
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ReadOasis Step 3 Creative Commons Photo by Oakley Originals Many of us know the story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. A young husband and wife love each other deeply. But they are too poor to buy each other gifts at Christmas. After much thought, the man... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) The buildings are rich in color and history. The trees are tall and stately. And the wind blows with the quiet whispers of the great people who have walked these paths. Eight American presidents have studied here. Some fifty Nobel Prize winners have been... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Be careful of the man who really knows how to be a fool. Alec Fronimites Knowledge is power. Through science, we have learned to fly. We make medicine and build great cities. We use the power of nature. And we fill our cities with energy. Through... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Adapted from Mahalo.com Mary and Joe are from Portland, Oregon. They are both sixteen years old, and they have many friends. But when they go to college, they may have to leave their hometown and friends. Mary likes the arts, especially music. And Joe likes English,... Read more
By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 4 Philosophy is a discipline for thinking about the world, the universe, and people. Philosophy is abstract. It’s about ideas and thoughts, such as love, beauty, or truth. But philosophy also deals with the real world. Ethics is a part of philosophy, dealing... Read more
Reading Out Loud to Children is Good
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ReadOasis Step 1 A recent study showed that reading out loud to young children is a good thing. Young children will have better language, reading, and writing skills at school if their parents read to them. These children will more likely develop a love of reading. And this can... Read more