INTER. Internet Cats British English Student

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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

INTERNET
CATS
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

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16LH-GRDR-LCQ

1 Warm up
Discuss the questions.
1. Do you enjoy watching cat videos on the Internet?
2. Why do you think some people enjoy these videos?
3. What do you know about the three famous internet cats in the photos?

Grumpy Cat Lil Bub Bob the Street Cat

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2 Reading

Read this biography and try to understand the words in bold. Then match them with their meanings.

Grumpy Cat

Grumpy Cat is one of most famous animals of the 21st century. She was born in Arizona
in the US in 2012. Her owner, Tabitha Bundeson, first named her Tardar Sauce, because
the kitten’s original orange colour reminded her of a sauce at the fish restaurant where
she was working. Grumpy Cat and her brother Pokey both had feline dwarfism, which
gave them their unusual appearance. However, neither of them were really grumpy at
all!
Grumpy quickly became an Internet meme after her owner’s brother Bryan Bundeson
posted a photo of her on the website Reddit when she was just a kitten. She was soon
appearing regularly on TV shows like Good Morning America, and her pictures were used
in books and calendars. Her 2013 book, Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book, made the New
York Times best-seller list. In 2014 she starred in the film Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas
Ever. She also worked for the cat food brand Friskies. Grumpy was never in front of the
cameras for long and her owners said, "We’ve never given her drugs to make her easier
to handle."
In May 2019, Grumpy’s owners announced that she had died of an infection. At the
time of her death, she had 8.3 million followers on Facebook, 2.4 million on Instagram
and 1.5 million on Twitter. Her owners said that Grumpy had changed their lives for
the better, allowing them to spend more time together as a family. Grumpy’s fans have
missed her but at least they have some pictures to remember her by!

1. a book or other product that has sold millions of copies

2. medicines that are sometimes taken to improve behaviour or relax

3. complaining, easily annoyed, not really enjoying life

4. a condition caused by viruses or bacteria entering the body

5. an idea that spreads quickly on the Internet

What new information did you learn about Grumpy Cat?

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Without looking at the biography, choose the correct form to complete each question. Then answer
the questions.

What did / had Tabitha Bundeson first name Grumpy Cat?

1.

Where did / was Tabita Bundeson working when Grumpy Cat was born?

2.

Why were / did Grumpy and Pokey have an unusual appearance?

3.

Who posted / did post a photo of Grumpy on Reddit?

4.

Soon after the Reddit post, where was Grumpy regularly appeared / appearing?

5.

How did her owners say that Grumpy cat had / was died?

6.

How did her owners say that Grumpy Cat was changing / had changed their lives?

7.

How have / had Grumpy Cat fans felt since her death?

8.

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3 Language point

Forming questions in English takes lots of practice. Look at the examples and answer the questions
about four different verb forms.

Examples A

1. What did Tabita Bundeson first name Grumpy Cat?


2. Why did Grumpy and Pokey have an unusual appearance?
3. Who posted a photo of Grumpy on Reddit?

1. What tense are these questions? How do we use this tense?


2. What auxiliary verb is used to make questions 1 and 2?
3. Why is the last question different?

Examples B

• Where was Tabita Bundeson working when Grumpy Cat was born?
• Soon after the Reddit post, where was Grumpy regularly appearing?

1. What form are these questions? How do we use this form?


2. We don’t add an auxiliary verb to make these questions. How do we make them?

Examples C

• How did her owners say that Grumpy cat had died?
• How did her owners say that Grumpy Cat had changed their lives?

1. Why are there two verbs in these sentences?


2. What is the name of the verb form in bold? How is it used?

Example D

• How have Grumpy Cat fans felt since her death?

1. What is the name of the verb form in bold? How is it used?


2. How do we make questions with this form?

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4 Practice

Work in A/B pairs. Look at the correct page of the worksheet.

You can see two cat biographies. In the first one, some information is missing, and you have to make
questions to ask your partner. You will use the information in the second one to answer your partner’s
questions.
Read the biographies with the glossary. Then prepare questions for your partner.
Student A: Lil Bub
1
Lil Bub was born in 2011, to a homeless mother who was living . Her
2
owner, Mike Bridavsky, adopted her from . Like Grumpy Cat, she had feline
3
dwarfism, and her tongue was always sticking out because she also
Lil Bub became famous after her owner created a Tumblr blog about her. This led to posts of her
photos on Reddit and these quickly went viral. She appeared in books and on various popular TV
shows and films. Her 2013 movie, Lil Bub and Friends, which also featured Grumpy Cat, won a prize
4
at the Tribeca online festival. Lil Bub also had her own TV programme, Lil
5
Bub’s Big Show, where she even interviewed !
6
Sadly, Lil Bub died in December 2019. At the time of her death, she had 2.3
7
million followers on Instagram, but more importantly, she and her owner had made
for animal charities. Announcing her death on Instagram, Bridavsky said, "Bub has spread a message
8
of ... positivity ... to people all over the world." Bridavsky has created , Lil
Bub: The Earth Years for fans who need more Lil Bub in their lives.

Glossary
adopted: took a child or animal into your home to be part of your family
busking: performing music in the streets for money
charities: organisations that help animals, the elderly, the young the sick, etc
a drug addict: a person who cannot stop taking illegal drugs like heroine
led to: resulted in, caused something to happen
sticking out: easy to see because it comes past the edge or surface of something
treatment: the use of medicine, exercise, etc to help someone get better when they are ill
went viral: became very popular on the Internet

Questions

1. Where ______________________________________________________________________
2. Who ________________________________________________________________________
3. Why ________________________________________________________________________
4. Which prize _________________________________________________________________
5. Who ________________________________________________________________________
6. How ________________________________________________________________________
7. At the time of her death, how much money ____________________________________
8. What ________________________________________________________________________

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Bob the Street Cat (for Student A)

No one knows anything about Bob’s early life - his story started in the spring of 2007, when he met
a man called James Bowen. Bowen had been a drug addict for many years and was performing music
on the streets of London when he found Bob in the hall of his building. Bob needed medical care, so
Bowen took him to the vet. When his treatment finished, Bob refused to leave Bowen and helped him
recover from his addiction. After that, Bob rode on Bowen’s shoulders when he was travelling on the
bus to Covent Garden every day and sat by his side when he was busking. The unusual pair became
famous - tourists came to see them perform, and people took videos of the pair and posted these on
Youtube.

An article about Bob and Bowen appeared in the local paper and this led to the creation of the best-
selling book A Street Cat Named Bob. Several more books for both children and adults followed, as well
as two films in 2016 and 2020. In the films, Bob played himself; an actor played Bowen.

Sadly, Bob died in 2020 after a car hit him in the road. Bowen said that Bob had taught him that,
"Everyone deserves a second chance, and no one is alone." Now there’s a statue of Bob, wearing his
usual striped scarf, in North London near where the pair lived. Lots of fans have left flowers by the
statue. Since Bob’s death, Bowen and his girlfriend have adopted two kittens.

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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

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You can see two cat biographies. In the first one, some information is missing, and you have to make
questions to ask your partner. You will use the information in the second one to answer your partner’s
questions.
Read the biographies with the glossary. Then prepare questions for your partner.
Student B: Bob the Street Cat
1
No one knows anything about Bob’s early life - his story started , when he
2
met a man called James Bowen. Bowen had been a drug addict and was
3 4
performing music when he found Bob . Bob
needed medical care, so Bowen took him to the vet. When his treatment finished, Bob refused to
leave Bowen and helped him recover from his addiction. After that, Bob rode on Bowen’s shoulders
when he was travelling on the bus to Covent Garden every day and sat by his side when he was busking.
The unusual pair became famous - tourists came to see them perform, and people took videos of the
pair and posted these on Youtube.
An article about Bob and Bowen appeared in the local paper and this led to the creation of the best-
selling book A Street Cat Named Bob. Several more books for both children and adults followed, as well
5
as two films in 2016 and 2020. In the films, played ; an actor played
Bowen.
6
Sadly, Bob died in 2020 . Bowen said that Bob had taught him that, "
7
." Now there’s a statue of Bob, wearing his usual striped scarf, in North
London near where the pair lived. Lots of fans have left flowers by the statue. Since Bob’s death,
8
Bowen and his girlfriend have adopted .

Glossary
adopted: took a child or animal into your home to be part of your family
busking: performing music in the streets for money
charities: organisations that help animals, the elderly, the young the sick, etc
a drug addict: a person who cannot stop taking illegal drugs like heroine
led to: resulted in, caused something to happen
sticking out: easy to see because it comes past the edge or surface of something
treatment: the use of medicine, exercise, etc to help someone get better when they are ill
went viral: became very popular on the Internet

Questions

1. When ________________________________________________________________________
2. How long ____________________________________________________________________
3. Where_______________________________________________________________________
4. Where ______________________________________________________________________
5. Who ________________________________________________________________________
6. How ________________________________________________________________________
7. What did Bowen say that ____________________________________________________
8. What ______________________________________________________________________

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

INTERNET CATS

Lil Bub (for Student B)

Lil Bub was born in 2011, to a homeless mother who was living on a farm in Indiana in the US. Her
owner, Mike Bridavsky, adopted her from a friend, who had rescued the cat family. Like Grumpy
Cat, she had feline dwarfism, and her tongue was always sticking out because she also had medical
problems related to her bones, mouth and teeth.
Lil Bub became famous after her owner created a Tumblr blog about her. This led to posts of her photos
on Reddit and these quickly went viral. She appeared in books and on various popular TV shows and
films. Her 2013 movie, Lil Bub and Friends, which also featured Grumpy Cat, won a prize for the best
feature film at the Tribeca online festival. Lil Bub also had her own TV programme, Lil Bub’s Big Show,
where she even interviewed Michelle Obama!
Sadly, Lil Bub died in her sleep from a bone infection in December 2019. At the time of her death, she
had 2.3 million followers on Instagram, but more importantly, she and her owner had made $700,000
for animal charities. Announcing her death on Instagram, Bridavsky said, "Bub has spread a message
of ... positivity ... to people all over the world." Bridavsky has created one last book, Lil Bub: The Earth
Years for fans who need more Lil Bub in their lives.

5 Talking point

Answer these questions in pairs or small groups.

1. How are these three cats the same? How are they different?
2. Which of these three cats is your favourite and why?
3. Why do you think dogs aren’t as popular as cats on the Internet?
4. Read this information and say if you agree and why.

Since we reached peak cat in the twenty-tens, a lot of things have changed on
the Internet. Human celebrities have now taken the place of Grumpy Cat and
Lil Bub, and it’s the decade of the influencers, sharing fashion, hair and make-up
advice, posting photos about what they’re eating and documenting their journey
to fitness, wellness and general "perfect-ness." The Internet cats were all about
imperfection and reminded us of the importance of kindness and laughter. We’re
going to need these qualities in the future - but where will we find them?

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6 Optional extension

Read the information in the box.

An ordinary cat, with no special appearance, is called a moggy. They can have any colour or
length of fur. However, some people pay a lot of money to buy a pedigree cat, which comes
from a named breed. All cats share the same body part names and the same basic behaviours.

Separate the vocabulary into four groups: cat fur patterns, cat breeds, cat body parts and cat behaviours.

(1) claw (2) feed (3) groom (4) Maine Coon

(5) muzzle (6) nap (7) paw (8) Ragdoll

(9) scratch (10) Siamese (11) solid (12) Sphynx

(13) tabby (14) tortoiseshell (15) tricolour/calico (16) whiskers

fur patterns breeds body parts behaviours

1. Can you think of any other words to go in the four groups?


2. Which fur patterns and breeds are your favourites? Why?

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