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Animals & Environment

Hero Rat Magawa Honoured in Cambodia

24 Jun 2026

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Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

WARM UP

Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?


a) A giant rat that saves lives 


b) A cat that flies a plane 


c) A dog that sings a song


Ask: 


(1) Do you like rats or are you scared of them? 


(2) What makes an animal a real hero?

VOCABULARY 

rat

(noun)

 

hero

(noun)

 

statue

(noun)

 

safe

(adjective)

 

medal

(noun)

 

find

(verb)

A small animal with a long tail.

Example: The little rat loves eating fruit.

 

A person or animal that does something very brave.

Example: He is a hero for saving the boy.

 

A stone or metal model of a person or animal.

Example: There is a big stone statue in the park.

 

Not in danger or hurt.

Example: Our home is a safe place to play.

 

A flat piece of metal given to a brave animal or person.

Example: The dog won a gold medal.

 

To look for something and see it.

Example: Can you find the hidden ball?

Meet Magawa. He was a very special African giant pouched rat. Magawa lived in Cambodia and worked as a true animal hero. His job was to find dangerous landmines hidden in the ground. Landmines are objects that can explode and hurt people. 


Magawa was very clever and light. He could walk across the fields without making the landmines explode. He found more than one hundred dangerous objects in his life. Because of his hard work, many fields are now safe for children to play on. Magawa won a beautiful gold medal for his bravery. He died peacefully in 2022 when he was eight years old. 


Now, the people of Cambodia want to remember him forever. In 2026, artists made a giant stone statue of Magawa in Siem Reap. The statue shows the brave rat wearing his special medal and harness. People visit it to say thank you.

Listen
00:00 / 00:46

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why do you think Magawa was called a hero? 


2. Would you like to meet a giant pouched rat? 


3. Why is it important to have safe fields for children to play on? 


4. How do you think the artists felt when they made the statue? 


5. What other animals help humans do important jobs? 


6. If you could give a medal to any pet, which pet would you choose and why?

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FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps 


Word Bank: find, hero, rat, statue 



Meet Magawa, he was a very special African giant pouched _______(1). Magawa lived in Cambodia and worked as a true animal _______(2). His job was to _______(3) dangerous landmines hidden in the ground. Landmines are objects that can explode and hurt people. 


Magawa was very clever and light. He could walk across the fields without making the landmines explode. He found more than one hundred dangerous objects in his life. Because of his hard work, many fields are now safe for children to play on. Magawa won a beautiful gold medal for his bravery. He died peacefully in 2022 when he was eight years old. 


Now, the people of Cambodia want to remember him forever. In 2026, artists made a giant stone _______(4) of Magawa in Siem Reap. The statue shows the brave rat wearing his special medal and harness. People visit it to say thank you. 



Section 2: Main Idea 


Choose the best summary of the story. 


a) A brave rat named Magawa helped save lives in Cambodia, and now he has a special stone statue. 


b) A group of artists in Cambodia built a large statue of a cat that found hidden treasures in a city. 


c) Rats are dangerous animals that live in fields, and people do not like to look at statues of them.

UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False 


1. Magawa was a giant pouched rat that lived in Cambodia. T/F 


2. Magawa made the landmines explode when he walked on them. T/F 


3. The new stone statue was made in the year 2026. T/F 



Section 4: Put Events in Order 


Put the events in the correct order from 1 to 3. 


a) Magawa died peacefully when he was eight years old. 


b) Magawa found more than one hundred dangerous landmines in fields. 


c) Artists made a giant stone statue of Magawa in Siem Reap.

LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match 


1. rat 


2. hero 


3. statue 


4. medal

 


a) a stone or metal model of a person or animal 


b) a small animal with a long tail 


c) a flat piece of metal given for bravery 


d) a person or animal that does something very brave

USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder


Choose the best word to complete the sentences.


1.  Magawa was an animal _______ who found dangerous objects. a) hero b) tree c) ball

 

2.  The fields are now _______ for children to play on. a) hot b) safe c) blue



Section 7: Sentence Unscramble


Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence.


1.  A) rat B) very C) Magawa D) brave E) was


2.  A) made B) stone C) statue D) a E) artists

ANSWER KEY

Warm Up

Answer: a


Section 1: Fill in the Gaps

  1. rat

  2. hero

  3. find

  4. statue

Section 2: Main Idea 

Answer: a


Section 3: True or False

  1. True

  2. False

  3. True

Section 4: Put Events in Order

  1. b

  2. a

  3. c

Section 5: Vocab Match

  1. b

  2. d

  3. a

  4. c

Section 6: Discussion Builder

  1. a

  2. b

Section 7: Sentence Unscramble

  1. C-E-D-B-A (Magawa was a very brave rat)

  2. E-A-D-B-C (Artists made a stone statue)

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