Listen&Learn: Alaska’s cat mayor
Posted by: Jaksyn PeacockPre-listening vocabulary
- election: a process where people vote for political candidates
- resident: someone who lives in a certain place
- mayor: the person who runs a city or town
- destination: a place that people go to
- tradition: an action that people continue to repeat
- kitten: a baby cat
Listening activity
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Gapfill exercise
Comprehension questions
1. When no good human candidates stepped up, the residents of Talkeetna
When no good human candidates stepped up, the residents of Talkeetna voted a cat into office.
2. Stubbs's office was
Stubbs's office was a general store.
3. After Stubbs died, the town elected
After Stubbs died, the town elected a kitten.
Discussion/essay questions
- Do you participate in local elections in your town?
Transcript
In 1998, the small town of Talkeetna, Alaska held a mayoral election. But the residents quickly became frustrated when no one stepped up for the job. Instead of electing a human candidate, the town voted a cat into office. The cat’s name was Stubbs, and he served as mayor for 19 years. His office was a general store in the centre of the town. During Stubbs’s term, Talkeetna became a popular tourist destination in Alaska. Visitors would come to take photos or have meetings with the mayor. After Stubbs’s death in 2017, the residents of Talkeetna continued the tradition and elected a kitten named Denali to fill the role.
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17 comments
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Justin Stewart says:
OK finish sorry for the wade
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Vy says:
Thanks
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Vy says:
Very kind
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Pushpa Pathirana says:
great.
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Nilua says:
Great!
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Ali says:
I really like this story. I want to visit Talkeeta in the future to visit the new mayor.
I wonder if Denali has learned all the responsibility of the previous mayor. Haha
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Bassam says:
Really interesting
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Asieh says:
Thanks, I liked the story
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Jue Jue Zin says:
Thanks a lot
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Katia says:
This history was a great exercice to listen, to repeat in out loud, and hear myself and learn new vocabulary. Amazing!
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Henry says:
It’s a interesting story. I am happy to join this web. Thanks
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HOANG KHANH MY says:
That’s an interested story. I have a lot of knowledge and good experience!
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Christine PENNEC says:
amazing story. Great.
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João Emiliano says:
Particularly good!! Thanks
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Franklin says:
Good
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Reza says:
It is a good experience.
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Sonika Thakur says:
wonderful exercise to do.