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ET and Intelligent Life
ReadOasis Step 3 In recent years, American military pilots have reported amazing stories. They saw strange objects in the sky. We call these things "unidentified flying objects" (UFO's). These objects moved in ways never seen before. Major news outlets showed images of the objects. One American Air Force officer... Read more
Sincerely, Harriet Tubman
By Cana Short ReadOasis Step 3 Harriet Tubman circa 1885 Hello. I am Harriet Tubman, formerly a slave in Maryland, but now a free woman. Freedom did not come easily?I only attained it by running away. I do not know why I waited so long to escape. Life on... Read more
How to Avoid Stupid Cultural Mistakes!
ReadOasis Step 2 On his first meeting in Korea, Earl came late. But he entered the meeting room with a big smile on his face. And there stood Mr. Kim. For a few long seconds, the room filled up with an uneasy silence.  Then Earl gave Mr. Kim a... Read more
Henry Ward Beecher, Friend of Slaves (Step 3)
ReadOasis Step 3 On February 5, 1860, a strange slave auction was held. The place was Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, New York. But this auction was backwards. Church members were buying the freedom of a real slave. On that day, the church raised $900, and they purchased a slave... Read more
Write with Classic Style
ReadOasis Step 3 Regarding writing, maybe you have heard your teacher say, "Don't use 'I' in academic writing." Is this correct? Do academic writers always avoid "I?" Maybe you have even heard this: "If you use 'I' then you are being selfish!" Is that right? The following answers may... Read more
5 Stages of Culture Blues
ReadOasis Step 3 Corey loved Japan. But not today. The honeymoon was over. He had enjoyed sushi, ramen, temples, and gardens. But today, he was tired. He tried to speak Japanese. But the words didn't come out. He missed his family and friends. He missed home.  Corey started to... Read more
The Magic of Hidden Culture
ReadOasis Step 2 On his first day in Spain, Harry got lost in Madrid. He thought: "These streets aren't like home in Toronto." 500-year-old buildings. Gray stone streets. Red meat hanging in shop windows. The smell of fresh bread. The sound of a guitar in the park. "So, this... Read more
Where Did Tetris Come From?
ReadOasis Step 2 Tetris stands as one of the most popular games of all time. The game was created in 1984 by a Russian software engineer, Alexey Pajitnov. He wanted to make a game that was simple to play but had a lot of variety. Though the game rose... Read more
A Colorful Cultural Connection
ReadOasis Step 3 Mia and Sam lived in Los Angeles. Mia's family came from Mexico. Sam's family came from Japan. Raised in different cultures, they grew up learning different things. Mia loved spicy food and danced to Latino music. She often greeted people with a hug. Sam enjoyed sushi... Read more
Cars, Cars, Cars
ReadOasis Step 2 In the modern world, many people cannot live easily without a car, but just 100 years ago, that was not the case. The Ford Motor Company produced its first car in 1903. It was called the Ford Model A, and a doctor from Chicago, Illinois, became... Read more
12 Rules for Crossing Cultures
ReadOasis Step 3 Mo climbed up the rocky mountain. Suddenly, a rock broke off under his foot. He grabbed onto a small tree and watched the rock bounce down and down. He took a deep breath and looked up. And he saw the mountain top covered in smoke, fire,... Read more
Can International Students Work in the US?
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
Yoshitoshi, Master of Block Prints
ReadOasis Step 2 In Japan, there is a special kind of painting called "ukiyo-e." The word literally means "pictures of the floating world." Ukiyo-e are woodblock prints. This form of art is widely known through the paintings of Hokusai, especially his famous "Great Wave." Many ukiyo-e artists left their... Read more
Rakugo: A Funny Side of Japan
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
A Brief History of Stephen Hawking
ReadOasis Step 2 Stephen Hawking is one of the world's leading theoretical physicists. (A physicist studies the relationship between matter and energy in space and time.) Hawking has written many science books for non-scientists. His most famous book is called "A Brief History of Time." It has sold over... Read more
Indian Princess: Pocahontas (Step 2)
ReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) John watched the river flow. The water was green and blue and full of fish. He looked at the leaves on the trees and tall grass. They were moving softly in the quiet wind. This was a beautiful and wild place. But suddenly John heard... Read more
Ukulele Revolution
ReadOasis Step 2 Tiny Tim walked onto the stage. His long black hair swung down to his shoulders. He made a shy face, and he rolled his eyes. Then he started to play the ukulele and sing. His voice was very high. The song was cute, but also strange.... Read more
Lady Sings the Blues (Part 1)
ReadOasis Step 2 Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees These sad words open the song ?Strange Fruit.? The song was written by Abel Meeropol, and it was... Read more
Isaac Watts: Father of Hymns (Step 3)
ReadOasis Step 3 By Maria Sonora A hymn is a song of praise to God. In many cultures, people sing hymns at church services and on special celebrations like Christmas. Many prominent musicians today, such as Beyonce Knowles, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and Carrie Underwood mastered singing and performing... Read more
Photo Art: Composition (1 in a Series)
ReadOasis Step 2 Cameras and photos are everywhere today. For example, Flickr is a photo sharing site. People put thousands of photos on Flickr every minute. And some of these photos are excellent. The photographer Ansel Adams once said this. "You don't take a photograph, you make it." This... Read more