ReadOasis Step 2 A long time ago, there was a man called Cyrus the Great. He was king of Persia. At that time, boys were taught to tell the truth. This was one of their first lessons at home and at school. During the time of Cyrus the Great,... Read more
Rakugo: A Funny Side of Japan
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesCulture Step 3AProtectedStep 2StoriesStyles 4
ReadOasis Step 2 Sakura started to cry. "No Tora-san! You can't leave again! I know that life is hard for you here. But when you leave, it's harder for me." Tora-san watched Sakura cry and wipe her tears. He felt so sorry for her, but he didn't say anything.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 A long time ago, a little boy lived in Boston. His name was Ben Franklin. On his seventh birthday, his mother gave him a few pennies. He looked at the bright, yellow pieces. "What shall I do with these pennies, mother?" he asked. This was the... Read more
The Weight of a Nation (Step 2)
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedSciencesStep 2Stories 0
ReadOasis Step 2 The sun had just set on Waikiki Beach. A soft wind from the sea ran through the trees. Friends came together to hear music, Hawaiian style. One woman, in particular, was caught up in the music. Tears ran down her face as she listened to the... Read more
Slumdog Millionaire
ArtsB1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesMovies Step 2AProtectedStep 2Stories 0
ReadOasis Step 2 The film Slumdog Millionaire is about an 18-year-old boy from Mumbai, India. He comes from a poor part of the city. And he wins a large cash prize on a TV game show. But after he wins, he is arrested by the police. The police think... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 In his last year of high school, Alan didn't sleep much. Instead, he studied. Sometimes he crammed for exams all night. Sometimes he drank 3 or 4 cans of energy drinks so that he could study more. And he felt the agony of overwork. He got... Read more
The Most Famous Not a Protest Song (Step 5)
ArtsBNC LevelsC1-AdvancedCEFR LevelsListen!ProtectedStep 5StoriesTimes 1
ReadOasis Step 5 Protest songs speak out against problems in society. We can hear protest songs at pivotal moments of activism in western history, during the civil rights, anti-war, feminist, labor, and environmental movements. Protest singers have also sung about slave emancipation and women's suffrage. Of the many protest... Read more
Drifting Cowboy: Hank Williams (Step 3)
ArtsB1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesMusic Step 3BProtectedStep 3Stories 0
By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) By MGM Records via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain) Hank would never make it to his destination. There were too many problems. It was icy cold outside. Covered with a blanket, he sat in the back seat of his light blue Cadillac.... Read more
By Beatrix Potter Retold at ReadOasis Step 2 A long time ago, there were four little Rabbits. Their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter. They lived with their mother under the ground by the root of a big tree. "Now, my dears," said the mother Rabbit one morning.... Read more
James Watt and the Teapot
A2-Beginner+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesInvention Step 2AProtectedStep 2StoriesTech 0
ReadOasis Step 2 A little boy was sitting in his grandmother's kitchen. He was watching the red fire in the wide open fireplace. He quietly thought about the causes of things. He was always thinking and always wanting to know how things worked. "Grandma," he asked, "what makes the... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Will walked into the large office area and looked around. He was carrying a cup of coffee, and he spilled some on his hand. “Ouch!” he said. “That’s hot!” He looked around, but all the other workers were busy. They didn’t even notice him. He walked... Read more
How to Know if a Book’s Level is Right for You
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 1StoriesStyles 6
By Randall Short ReadOasis Step 1 At ReadOasis, you can read lots of short stories. Short stories are great because you can read to the end without stopping. You may keep on reading even if the words are difficult and the story is hard to understand. You know that... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 As you read or listen to this, what is your body saying? Does your body speak a language? Who does it speak to? We know that body language speaks to others. But some scientists say this. "Your body language speaks to you!" Specifically, your body talks... Read more
ReadOasis Step 5 Many schools and companies care about IQ. IQ stands for “intelligence quotient.” It is supposed to be a measure of intelligence. But what about EQ? EQ stands for emotional quotient, and it is supposed to be a measure of emotional intelligence. Extensive Reading Central reports about... Read more
By Jack London ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) On April 18th, 1906 the city of San Francisco California suffered a great earthquake. Over three thousand people died. The famous author Jack London was sent to report on the disaster. This is his story, "The Story of an Eyewitness." Never... Read more
Practice Makes Genius (Step 4)
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedSciencesStep 4StoriesTop Picks 3
By D.S. Aims ReadOasis Step 4 Tiger Woods started playing golf when he was two years old. Tiger was a mere toddler when his father began training him to become a great golfer. As a boy, baseball phenomenon Ichiro Suzuki practiced with his father every day. The practice sessions... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 A long time ago, there was a young boy named George Washington. He had two older brothers. They were all very close. George often talked to his brothers about his dreams. "I would like to be a sailor," George said. "Then I could go to many... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 “I would like to paint the way a bird sings.” ― Claude Monet A painting of flowers hung on the wall. The colors were soft blue, pink, and green. A man stood beside the work of art. He was wearing a black suit and a red... Read more
Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect (Step 3)
B1-IntermediateBizBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsPublicStep 3StoriesTop Picks 2
ReadOasis Step 3 A manager at a company was interviewing a job candidate. The manager said, “We need a very responsible person for this job. We need someone who can take charge.” The candidate’s eyes lit up, and he responded with great enthusiasm. “Sir, your search ends here! I’m... 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