Animals & Environment, Art & Culture
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29 Sept 2026
Courtesy of Pokémon. Composite by Luna Alatorre.
The Surprising Rise and Rare Danger of Rare Pokémon Cards
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Section: Warm Up
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Pokémon cards are now worth a lot of money.
b) Pokémon cards are made of real gold.
c) Pokémon cards are used as real money in shops.
Ask:
(1) Do you collect any special cards or toys?
(2) Why do you think some old games become famous?
VOCABULARY
valuable (/ˈvæljuəbl/, adjective)
Meaning: Worth a lot of money.
Example: The old golden card is very valuable today.
collector (/kəˈlektə/, noun)
Meaning: A person who gathers special things as a hobby.
Example: My brother is a card collector who keeps his items safe.
rare (/reə/, adjective)
Meaning: Not common and hard to find.
Example: She found a rare shiny card in the box.
popular (/ˈpɒpjələ/, adjective)
Meaning: Liked by many people.
Example: Pokémon is a very popular game with children.
protect (/prəˈtekt/, verb)
Meaning: To keep something safe from harm or theft.
Example: Shops protect their best cards inside glass cases.
steal (/stiːl/, verb)
Meaning: To take something that belongs to someone else without permission.
Example: Bad people try to steal things that cost a lot.
Pokémon cards are famous all over the world today. Many young people play the card game with their friends at school. Children trade shiny pictures of colorful monsters every afternoon. However, some special cards are now very valuable. A single rare card can cost thousands of pounds.
Adults and children collect these cards as a fun hobby. Millions of people buy new card packs every week. Because the cards cost so much money now, some bad thieves try to steal them from small hobby shops. Owners work hard to protect their stores and keep everyone safe.
Most collectors are just kind fans who love the game. They store their cards in clean plastic binders. They meet at local clubs to play fair matches. Playing card games is a great way to make good friends.
Various Pokémon have been the subject of fashion, food, entertainment, and gaming collaborations. Images courtesy of Fendi; Pokémon.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(1) Do you like playing card games with your friends?
(2) Which Pokémon character is your favorite?
(3) Why do you think some cards cost so much money?
(4) How can shop owners keep their items safe?
(5) What is your favorite hobby to do after school?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: protect, rare, popular, valuable
Pokémon cards are _______(1) all over the world today. Many young people play the card game with their friends at school. Children trade shiny pictures of colorful monsters every afternoon. However, some special cards are now very _______(2). A single _______(3) card can cost thousands of pounds.
Adults and children collect these cards as a fun hobby. Millions of people buy new card packs every week. Because the cards cost so much money now, some bad thieves try to steal them from small hobby shops. Owners work hard to _______(4) their stores and keep everyone safe.
Most collectors are just kind fans who love the game. They store their cards in clean plastic binders. They meet at local clubs to play fair matches. Playing card games is a great way to make good friends.
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of the article?
a) Pokémon cards are popular and valuable, but shops must keep them safe.
b) Plastic binders are bad for storing shiny game cards.
c) Nobody plays card games with friends at school anymore.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
(1) A single rare Pokémon card can cost thousands of pounds. T/F
(2) Nobody collects Pokémon cards as a hobby today. T/F
(3) Collectors meet at local clubs to play fair matches. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put these events in order (1-3):
( ) The cards became extremely valuable to collectors.
( ) People started buying and trading shiny monster cards.
( ) Shop owners began using extra security to protect cards.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
(1) valuable
(2) collector
(3) rare
(4) popular
(5) protect
a) Liked by many people
b) Hard to find and not common
c) Worth a lot of money
d) To keep safe from danger
e) A person who gathers special things
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
(1) My friend shows me a card because it is very ____.
a) rare
b) protect
(2) We must ____ our favorite toys in a safe box.
a) protect
b) valuable
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
(1) Unscramble: A. cards / B. Trade / C. Children / D. colorful / E. monster .
(2) Unscramble: A. cards / B. Very / C. Are / D. Valuable / E. Some .
ANSWER KEY
Answer Key A1:
Warm Up Answer: a) Pokémon cards are now worth a lot of money.
Section 1: (1) popular (2) valuable (3) rare (4) protect
Section 2: a) Pokémon cards are popular and valuable, but shops must keep them safe.
Section 3: (1) True (2) False (3) True
Section 4: 2, 1, 3
Section 5: (1)-c, (2)-e, (3)-b, (4)-a, (5)-d
Section 6: (1) a (2) a
Section 7: (1) (Children trade colorful monster cards.) (2) (Some cards are very valuable.)
Section 8: Open student responses based on comprehension.
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