In this exercise, you need to read the text on pages 76-77, and answer these questions.

1. In what country is the biggest bullring in the world located?

You could answer:

*La plaza de toros más grande del mundo se encuentra en España.*
The biggest bullring in the world is located in Spain.

2. What did the Celtic Iberians do in their circular temples?

You could answer:

*Los celtibéricos sacrificaban animales en sus templos circulares.*
The Celtic Iberian sacrificed animals in their circular temples.

3. What is bullfighting, according to someone who enjoys it?

You could answer:

*Según un aficionado, el toreo de hoy es más un rito que un espectáculo.*
According to someone who enjoys it, today’s bullfighting is more of a rite than a show.

4. How does the bullfighter prepare for the fight?

You could answer:

*El torero se prepara para la corrida como para una ceremonia: se pone el traje de luces tradicional y actúa dirigido por el ritmo de la música.*
The bullfighter prepares for the fight as if it were a ceremony: he puts on the traditional suit with lights and acts according to the rhythm of the music.

5. For those opposed to bullfighting, what are some of the issues?

You could answer:

*Para los que se oponen al rodeo, es una lucha injusta y cruel, y algunos piensan que es una costumbre primitiva que no tiene sentido en una sociedad moderna y civilizada. Protestan en contra de una muerte lenta y prolongada, dedicada al entretenimiento.*

For those opposed to bullfighting, it’s a cruel and unfair fight, and some believe it is a primitive tradition that makes no sense in a modern, civilized society. They protest against the slow and prolongued death, for entertainment purposes only.

6. What is a “bloodless bullfight”?

You could answer:

*Una corrida sin sangre es una corrida donde no se permite hacerle daño físico al toro.*
A bloodless bullfight is a fight in which physically harming the bull is not allowed.

7. What happened in Catalunya in July of 2010?

You could answer:

*En Cataluña en julio de 2010, el Parlamento catalán abolió las corridas de toros.*
In Catalunya in July 2010, the Parliament abolished bullfighting.

8. According to Cristina Sánchez, can only men bullfight?

You could answer:

*No, ella dice que todos pueden hacerlo, porque el toreo es cuestión de cabeza y plasticidad.*
No, she says everyone can do it, because bullfighting is a matter of mind and elasticity.

In this exercise, you need to read the text on pages 76-77 and then answer the questions.

1. Would you like to attend a bullfight? Why?

You could answer:

*No, no me gustaría, porque las considero innecesarias y violentas. No me gusta que existan.*
No, I wouldn’t like to, because I consider them unnecesary and violent. I don’t like that they exist.

2. What do you think of the fight between a bull and a bullfighter? Is there an aspect that is particularly problematic to you?

You could answer:

*Pienso que es una pelea injusta. Para mí, es particularmente problemático que el toro no sabe lo que está ocurriendo, sólo está asustado y enojado, mientras que el torero maneja toda la situación.*

I think it’s an unfair fight. To me, it’s particularly problematic that the bull doesn’t know what is happening, he is only scared and upset, while the bullfighter manipulates the situation.

3. What do you think about alternatives to traditional bullfighting like the “bloodless bullfight”? Is it an adequate solution to protect the animals?

You could answer:

*No, no es una solución adecuada. No me parece correcto porque de todas maneras se está enojando y asustando al toro sin razón.*
No, it’s not an adequate solution. I don’t think it’s right because the bull is being scared and angered anyway.

4. In your opinion, is it more cruel to raise a bull for fighting or a cow for butchering?

You could answer:

*En mi opinión, es más cruel la vida de un toro destinado al toreo, porque es sólo por el entretenimiento de unas pocas personas que se divierten con la violencia. La vaca en la carnicería por lo menos alimenta a muchas personas.*
In my opinion, the life of a bull raised for fighting is more cruel, because it is only for the entertainment of a few people who enjoy violence. The cow at the butcher’s at least feeds a lot of people.

In this exercise, you need to read the text on pages 76-77, and then answer these questions in pairs.

1. A known slogan in anti-bullfighting protests is “Torture isn’t art or culture”. What does this phrase mean?

You could answer:

*La frase “Tortura no es arte ni cultura” significa que no se puede justificar torturar animales con la excusa de que es una tradición. Las tradiciones o ver a un hombre bailar con un traje de luces no es más importante que la vida de un animal.*

The phrase “Torture isn’t art or culture” means that torturing animals can’t be justified with the excuse that it’s a tradition. Traditions or watching a man dance in a suit of lights isn’t more important than the life of an animal.

2. Are there questionable acts that can be justified because they are part of a culture or tradition? What’s your posture on the debate? Why?

You could answer:

*No, cuando las acciones lastiman a alguna persona o animal, no se justifican. Estamos en contra de las tradiciones que causen daño, porque no son necesarias.*
No, when actions hurt some person or animal, they are not justified. We are against traditions that cause harm, because they are not necessary.

3. Is it appropriate to have an opinion on traditions from cultures other than yours, or is it necessary to accept without criticizing?

You could answer:

*No es apropiado decirles a otras culturas qué hacer con sus tradiciones si no las entendemos, pero podemos opinar desde nuestro lugar siempre y cuando no discriminemos.*
It isn’t appropriate to tell other cultures what to do with their traditions if we don’t understand them, but we can have an opinion from our position as long as we don’t discriminate.

4. Do you think the government has the right to regulate or forbid traditions or customs? Give examples.

You could answer:

*Sí, creo que tiene derecho a hacerlo cuando causan un daño a alguien o algo. Por ejemplo, las tradiciones que requieren lastimar o matar a algún animal.*
Yes, I think they have the right to do so when traditions harm someone or something. For instance, the traditions that require harming or killing some animal.

In this exercise, you need to imagine that you live in a country where bullfighting is allowed, and your friends invite you to one. Write a postcard to your family telling them what happened, using these questions as a guide:

* Did you accept the invitation or not? Why?
* If you attended the fight, what did you think?
* Did you feel obligated to attend in respect to local culture?

You could write:

*Querida familia: Les escribo desde la ciudad de México, donde me estoy quedando con mis amigos. Ayer, algunos de ellos me invitaron a ver una corrida de toros. No acepté la invitación. Las corridas de toros me parecen un espectáculo innecesario que tortura a un animal, y no quiero ver eso. No me gustó que ellos quieran ir, tampoco. Me insistieron diciendo que era parte de la cultura local, pero no me parece adecuado disfrutar de la violencia por la cultura local.*

Dear family: I’m writing from México city, where I’m staying with my friends. Yesterday, some of them invited me to see a bullfight. I didn’t accept the invitation. I think bullfighting is an unnecesary show that tortures an animal, and I don’t want to watch that. I didn’t like that they wanted to go, either. They insisted, saying that it was a part of local culture, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to enjoy violence in the name of local culture.

In this exercise, you need to work in pairs to write a list of traditions or sports in which people utilize animals as entertainment. Then, you need to share your list with the rest of the class, and debate which activities are harmful to the animals and which aren’t.

You could write:

| Activity| Is it harmful? | Why?|
|–|–|–|
|Andar a caballo (horseback riding) |No |Porque los animales tienen la fuerza para hacerlo, y si se los cuida bien, no los daña (because the animals have the strength to do it, and if they’re well cared for, they’re not harmed) |
|Shows de talentos de perros (dog talent shows) | No| Porque no se los daña, sólo se los entrena para hacer trucos simples y se les cuida el cabello (because they aren’t harmed, they are only trained to do simple tricks and their hair is cared for)|
|Enseñarle a hablar a tu loro (teaching your parrot to talk)|No | Porque es una habilidad que los loros tienen naturalmente (because it’s an ability that parrots have naturally)|
| Carreras de caballos (horse racing)|Sí | Porque usualmente los caballos están sobreexigidos y mal alimentados (because usually those horses are overworked and badly fed)|