C. S. Lewis: An Extraordinary Life (Step 2)
ArtsB1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 2Stories 0
By David BelloReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) An ordinary boy and girl are looking at a painting on the wall. The painting shows a ship sailing in the middle of the big blue sea. As they look, they begin to notice something strange. The ship is moving up and down... Read more
By Cielo Vera ReadOasis Step 1 Gillian Lynne could not sit still. She was eight years old now. And her teachers worried about her. Perhaps she had a learning problem. Gillian's mother worried, too. She took her little girl to see a doctor. At the doctor's office, Gillian sat... 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
W.C. Handy: Father of the Blues (Step 2)
ArtsB1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsCoursesMusic Step 2BProtectedStep 2Stories 0
By Maria SonoraReadOasis Step 2 "Then I saw the beauty of primitive music." W.C. Handy, Father of the Blues W.C. Handy grew up in the southern part of the United States, in a small town in Alabama. His father was a church leader, and Handy was raised in the... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Leonardo da Vinci began working on the Mona Lisa in 1503. But he didn't finish it for many years. In 1516, he took the painting from Italy to France. And he probably finished it there in 1519 before he died. Then the King of France bought... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Once upon a time, a turtle named Kameko lived in a lake with two Ducks. The Ducks and Kameko enjoyed good friendship. Kameko liked spending time with the Ducks because she could talk with them to her heart's content. Kameko liked to talk. She always had... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 All the cities of Greece were in grave danger. A vast army, led by the great King of Persia, was coming from the east. It was moving along the sea, and in a few days, this army would be ready to attack. The King of Persia... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 You are sitting in a nice restaurant. You are about to enjoy an expensive meal with a friend. But then a man sitting at the table next to you starts smoking. To make matters worse, he blows smoke in your face. Why? He doesn't want to... Read more
Get Power with Body Language (Step 1)
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!ProtectedSciencesStep 1Stories
ReadOasis Step 1 "Power posing actually causes people to become more powerful." -- Amy Cuddy Amy Cuddy: Wonder Woman Pose (by Thatcher Cook) It was 4:00 A.M, and the sky was black as night. A single car was moving down a long and narrow road. Three young college girls... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Lori stopped her car at the red light. She looked down and saw that she needed gasoline. When the light turned green, she drove to the nearest gas station. She pulled up to the pump. She got out of the car, and she started pumping gas.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1(Part 1) A thousand years ago, boys and girls did not learn to read. Books were very hard to find, and only a few men could read them. Each book was written with a pen or a brush. The pictures were painted by hand, and some of... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 In the eyes of the world, Donald Miller was a massive success. He had written a book about his life, Blue Like Jazz, and it became a New York Times bestseller. Movie producers approached him. They wanted to make a movie about his life. He had... Read more
Momotaro — The Peach Boy (Step 2)
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!ProtectedStep 2StoriesStory 1
A Story from JapanReadOasis Step 2 Long ago in Japan, there lived a poor old man and woman. The old man often went to the mountains to cut grass. The old woman often went to the river to wash clothes. One day, while she was washing, a big pink... Read more
By Tom Peters (Creative Commons)ReadOasis Step 4 Does this require more explanation than the Golden Rule (“Do unto others ... ”): Badmouthing competitors diminishes you. Period. “Win” with better product.“Win” with better relationships.“Win” when your industry is prospering and has a good reputation. (Think consultants, ad agencies, lawyers, for... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) The bell rang. Jim’s things were already in his red book bag, which looked brown under the white lights of the classroom. Zip! Zip! He closed the bag. He stood up and let out a sigh, “Ahhhh.” It was loud enough that other students and... 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
ReadOasis Step 2 The Colorado River is long. It flows through the Grand Canyon, and it stretches for 2,334 kilometers through 7 U.S. and 2 Mexican states. On its way to the ocean, it serves 30 million people. They depend on the water of the Colorado River for work... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Creative Commons photo by Kevin Bedel A light wind blew through the garden and shook the trees. From one tree, an apple fell and hit the ground. Isaac heard the sound, and it disturbed his thoughts. At the time, he was walking in his... Read more
The Weight of a Nation (Step 3)
B2-Intermediate+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedSciencesStep 3Stories 1
ReadOasis Step 3 The sun had just set on Waikiki Beach. A cool breeze from the ocean ran through the palm trees. Friends had gathered together to hear music, Hawaiian style. One woman, in particular, was captured by the melody. Tears ran down her face as she listened to... Read more
Six Keys to a Healthy Life
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!ProtectedSciencesStep 3Stories 1
ReadOasis Step 3 Jeanne Calment was a French woman who lived 122 years. She was born in 1875 and died in 1997. Many records verify her age, and they show that she lived longer than any other human being. At age 85, she started to learn the sport of... Read more