EnglishClub

Pre-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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:08 — 1.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | More

Gapfill exercise

In 1998, the small town of Talkeetna, Alaska held a mayoral election. But the residents quickly became when no one stepped up for the job. Instead of electing a 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 tourist destination in Alaska. Visitors would come to take 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.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20578″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. 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. 

Pre-listening vocabulary

• population: the amount of people living in an area
• ghost town: a town that has been completely abandoned
• mayor: the leader of a town or city
• taxes: money paid to a government
• eligible: qualified to do or receive something
• tavern: a public building where people can buy and drink alcohol

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16 — 1.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | More

Gapfill exercise

Monowi, Nebraska is a small town that once had a population of about 150. Today, it is almost a ghost town. There is only one person who lives there: a in her eighties named Elsie Eiler. She is the town’s mayor, bartender, and . For Monowi to be recognized as an official town, Eiler has to create city and pay taxes to herself. As long as she completes these tasks as mayor, the town is eligible to get money from the state for roads and . When Eiler is not working as Monowi’s mayor, she runs a small tavern where people from other towns visit during the day. She also owns a large book collection that all visitors are allowed to borrow from. Living in a town all alone may seem sad to some people, but Eiler says that she is not . She believes Monowi to be her home, and she gets to see visitors often.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20135″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Have you ever been to a ghost town? If so, what were some interesting things you got to see?
2. The population of Monowi began to shrink in the 1950s. This was because its residents were struggling with money after World War II, and they needed to find work somewhere else. What are some other reasons why people might abandon a town?

Transcript

Monowi, Nebraska is a small town that once had a population of about 150. Today, it is almost a ghost town. There is only one person who lives there: a woman in her eighties named Elsie Eiler. She is the town’s mayor, bartender, and librarian. For Monowi to be recognized as an official town, Eiler has to create city plans and pay taxes to herself. As long as she completes these tasks as mayor, the town is eligible to get money from the state for roads and electricity. When Eiler is not working as Monowi’s mayor, she runs a small tavern where people from other towns visit during the day. She also owns a large book collection that all visitors are allowed to borrow from. Living in a town all alone may seem sad to some people, but Eiler says that she is not lonely. She believes Monowi to be her home, and she gets to see visitors often.