ReadOasis Step 2 English is currently the world’s common language. It’s the international language of business, politics, and the Internet. About 400 million people speak English as a first language. And about a billion people are learning it today. To learn any foreign language, we need motivation. Motivation is... 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 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
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
Reading Makes Words Stick in Your Brain
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ReadOasis: So here we are with Dr. Paul Nation, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wellington, Victoria (New Zealand). And of course one of the most well-known linguists in the world. It’s an honor to have him. Just one quick question for our learners: How can extensive graded reading help... Read more
A Simple Recipe for Learning English
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ReadOasis Step 1 To learn English, we need words. Most English native speakers know between 12,000 and 20,000 words. Shakespeare used 31,534 words. And he probably knew more. How many words do you know? Naomi knows 95% of the words in Alice in Wonderland. She understands it without a... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 English is a global language. It is the main language in science, business, entertainment, and foreign affairs. There are about 400 million native speakers of English. And maybe one billion people speak it as a second language. English became international mainly through the economic and cultural... 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 associated... 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 2Adapted 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, but... 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
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
ReadOasis Step 1(Part 1) Bill was walking slowly to class. He always walked slowly. He wore thick glasses, and it was hard for him to see far ahead. He didn’t want to trip and fall. It’s better to be safe than sorry, he thought. Safe was good, but Bill... Read more
By Phillip WiseReadOasis Step 1 Philosophy is a way of 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 with good and... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4 Harvard University - Widener Library The idea of Liberal Arts has roots in ancient Greece. Plato made a school for gaining knowledge and understanding through science, critical and creative thinking, and challenging accepted beliefs. Today Liberal Arts schools focus on theology, literature, languages, philosophy, history, mathematics,... Read more
By Cielo Vera ReadOasis Step 2 Gillian Lynne could not sit still. She was eight years old now. And her teachers worried about her performance at school. Perhaps she had a learning disorder. Gillian’s mother worried, too. She took her daughter to see a doctor. At the doctor’s office,... Read more
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