Joy English · Level B1 · Nature and parksjoy-english.com
Denali National Park: the story of a name
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Read an excerpt from a VOA Learning English report about Denali National Park in Alaska and the long history of its name.
Denali: The Alaskan Wild
Denali National Park was first established almost 100 years ago. At the time, the park and North America’s tallest mountain were known by another name. Many Americans knew the famous peak as Mount McKinley.
In the late 1800s, gold miners unofficially named the peak after William McKinley, the 25th U.S. president. At the time, McKinley was still a presidential candidate.
McKinley himself never traveled anywhere near the mountain. But the name stuck.
In Alaska, however, locals continued to call the mountain “Denali.” The word Denali means “the high one” for the Athabascan people, many of whom lived north of the mountain.
The area became a national park on February 26, 1917. Its name was Mount McKinley National Park. Some naturalists disagreed with the naming decision. A debate continued for more than half a century, a sign of the area’s long and complex history.
In 1975, Alaskan state officials asked the federal government to change the name to Denali to honor the native Alaskans. But congressional members from the state of Ohio - where McKinley was from - opposed and blocked the renaming efforts.
In late 1980, weeks before his presidency ended, Jimmy Carter increased the size of the park from 800,000 hectares to 2.4 million hectares.
The expanded park also took on a new name. It became the Denali National Park and Preserve.
The naming debate, however, was not over. Although the park took the name of Denali, the mountain itself still remained Mount McKinley for another 35 years.
Understand the text
Read the text. Choose the correct answer.
- Who first named the mountain after William McKinley?
- McKinley was already president when the mountain was named after him.
- Local people in Alaska continued to use the name Denali.
- What does the word Denali mean for the Athabascan people?
- In which year did the area become a national park?
- Who blocked the 1975 attempt to change the name?
- What did Jimmy Carter do in late 1980?
- What was the situation for many years after 1980?
Words and details
Choose the best answer, or type a word or number from the text.
- William McKinley was the ___ president of the United States.
- "McKinley himself never traveled anywhere near the mountain. But the name stuck." This means the name ...
- "A debate continued for more than half a century." A debate is ...
- Alaskan officials wanted to change the name "to honor the native Alaskans". This means to ...
- In 1980, the park grew to 2.4 million ___.
- Many of the Athabascan people lived ___ of the mountain.
Answer key
Understand the text
- b) Gold minersThe text says gold miners unofficially named the peak after William McKinley in the late 1800s.
- b) FalseAt the time, McKinley was still a presidential candidate.
- a) TrueThe text says: In Alaska, however, locals continued to call the mountain Denali.
- c) the high oneThe word Denali means the high one for the Athabascan people.
- a) 1917The area became a national park on February 26, 1917.
- c) Congress members from OhioCongressional members from Ohio, where McKinley was from, opposed and blocked the renaming.
- b) He made the park about three times bigger.He increased the park from 800,000 hectares to 2.4 million hectares, which is three times bigger.
- c) The park was called Denali, but the mountain was still Mount McKinley.The park took the name Denali, but the mountain remained Mount McKinley for another 35 years.
Words and details
- 25th / twenty-fifth / twenty fifth / 25The text says McKinley was the 25th U.S. president.
- a) continued to be usedWhen a name sticks, people keep using it.
- b) a discussion between people with different opinionsThere was a long discussion about which name was right.
- c) show respect for themTo honour someone means to show respect for them. The text uses the US spelling, honor.
- hectaresThe park increased from 800,000 hectares to 2.4 million hectares.
- northThe text says: the Athabascan people, many of whom lived north of the mountain.