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Break Free from Bad Academic Writing!
ReadOasis Step 2 The interviewer's question hit hard. "Why do academics write so poorly? Is it on purpose?" Wait a minute! Academics are bad writers? How could that be? They're smart, right? They stand as good examples of clear thinking, don't they? But the answer hit back harder. It... Read more
How to Know if a Book’s Level is Right for You
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
Enjoy Your Freedom — Remember Juneteenth
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
How to Think About Scary Facts
Greg sat down and started watching TV. He saw scary car chases and fiery plane crashes. He felt shocked as he watched the violence of murder and war. Greg felt moved to tears by emotional music and scenes of terrible events. It felt like a powerful TV drama. But... Read more
Indian Princess (Step 1)
ReadOasis Step 1(Part 1) John watched the river. The water was green and blue and full of fish. He looked at the leaves on the trees and the long, green grass. They were moving slowly in the quiet wind. This was a beautiful place. But suddenly, John heard a... Read more
Push-ups and Health
ReadOasis Step 2 During the 1930s and 40s, Jack LaLanne became famous for fitness. He was one of the first people to open a modern health and fitness club. He was one of the first to get athletes to work out with weights. And he was one of the... Read more
The 300
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
The Doll Festival (Step 2)
By Zoe NovaReadOasis Step 2 Japan is a land of festivals. And on March 3, Japanese families may celebrate the "Hina Matsuri" or Doll Festival. This is also called Girl's Day. On Girl's day, families pray for the health and happiness of their girls. During the Doll Festival, you... Read more
Sincerely, Ben Franklin
ReadOasis Step 1Cana Short Hello there. My name is Benjamin Franklin, and I'm 17 years old. I work at a printing shop here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. But I have only been here for a few weeks. Before coming to Philadelphia, I lived in Boston, Massachusetts. That's where I was... Read more
Culture and Health
ReadOasis Step 2 What is the relationship between culture and health? The following study compares Italians, Japanese, and French with the British and Americans. First, we examine fat in the diet. The Japanese eat very little fat. The British and the Americans eat more fat than the Japanese. And... Read more
Extensive Reading, Because it Works!
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
Improve Your Word Power
ReadOasis Step 1 So you want to improve your word power. But what words should you learn first? You can waste time learning uncommon words first. But it's smart to learn the most common words at the beginning. The top 2,000 words of English make up 80% of all... Read more
Ten Tools for Making More Happiness
ReadOasis Step 2 Mary looked into the eyes of her new baby. "She's so beautiful," said Mary almost singing. Mary continued her song, "My goodness! I'm so happy! This is the happiest moment in my life!" And yes, it was. In fact, most couples feel the purest kind of... Read more
Moving to Think (Step 2)
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
A Library in Your Bag: The Kindle
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
The Death of Bach and His Music
ReadOasis Step 2 Johann looked at the piece of music. But he just saw clouds of dark marks on a page. He couldn't see the notes. He needed help. So, he asked a famous doctor to fix his eyes. The doctor's name was John Taylor. But Johann did not... Read more
Master of Words: Bob Dylan (Part 1)
ReadOasis Step 2 It was January 1961. In the cold north of Minnesota, a young man of 19 years packed his bags. He was going to New York City. By car, the trip would take over 18 hours. And he was travelling by his thumb. In other words, he... Read more
The Meaning of Haiku
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) An old man is walking along a rocky river bed. He is a traveller, but he is carrying only a few things. He can hear the songs of birds and the breath of the wind. The sound of the River Fuji is clear in... Read more
Wishes
By Sara TeasdaleReadOasis Step 2 I wish for such a lot of thingsThat never will come true--And yet I want them all so muchI think they might, don't you? I want a little kitty-catThat's soft and tame and sweet,And every day I watch and hopeI'll find one in the... Read more
The Gingerbread Man
ReadOasis Step 2 The baker washed his hands and dried them with a towel. Smiling, he looked down at his creation -- a big cookie. The cookie smelled of ginger spice and took the shape of a man. It was steaming hot, just out of the oven. As the... Read more