SESSION 3: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 3: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:
1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are True (T) or False (F):
a. Bullfighting has been banned from September 25 in a part of Spain.
b. Fewer than 2,000 spectators were at the final fights.
c. Some of Spain’s top matadors performed at the final event.
d. Crowds attending bullfights have been growing recently.
e. Around 180,000 people signed a petition against bullfighting.
f. Opponents of the ban have said the fight isn’t over.
g. Catalonia is the first region on mainland Spain to ban bullfighting.
h. Bullfighting started in Seville’s Maestranza bullring 500 years ago.

1.2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. come to an end ...................... a. a great deal of
2. actual ................................. b. leading
3. spectators ............................ c. finished
4. top .................................... d. prohibit
5. in decline ............................ e. enthusiasts
6. ban .................................... f. onlookers
7. argued ................................ g. area
8. fans ................................... h. dying
9. plenty of ............................. i. real
10. region ............................... j. claimed

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from this article (sometimes more than one option is possible):
1. Bullfighting has come .................. a. crowds each year
2. The actual ban comes into effect .... b. at the historic event
3. Over 20,000 ............................. c. twice
4. top matadors performed .............. d. spectators
5. smaller and smaller ..................... e. region
6. 180,000 people signed ................. f. to an end
7. they have a chance of ................. g. for centuries
8. think ..................................... h. on the first of January
9. mainland ................................ i. a petition against it
10. part of Spanish life ................... j. getting it overturned

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:


NATIONAL - PERFORMED - ACTUAL - CROWDS - SPEED - END - SEASON - ARENA

Bullfighting has come to an (1) ____________ in northeastern Spain. Fans in the region of Catalonia saw their last fights on September 25. The (2) ____________ ban comes into effect on the first of January, 2012, but Sunday’s fighting was the last of the (3) ____________. Over 20,000 spectators packed Barcelona's Monumental arena to see this age-old spectacle (4) ____________ in the city for the last time. Spain’s top matadors performed at the historic event, which sold out at record (5) ____________. One matador, Julian Lopez, told the AP news agency: “This is such a beautiful (6) ____________, with a lot of tradition both for bullfighters and this (7) ____________ celebration.” Despite this, bullfighting at the arena has been on the decline, with smaller and smaller (8) ____________ each year.

 

REGION - OVERTURNED - SERIOUS - DOZENS - DECIDED - CENTURIES - ARGUED - TWICE

Catalonia (9) ____________ to ban bullfighting last year after 180,000 people signed a petition against it. They (10) ____________ the corrida was barbaric. Opponents of the ban believe they have a chance of getting it (11) ____________ next year. Bull breeder, Moeses Fraele said: "I think the politicians will think (12) ____________ about the ban and bullfighting will live on. And thank God because Catalonia has plenty of (13) ____________ bullfighting fans.” He added that, “in a democratic country [fans] should be able to go to a bullfight." Catalonia is the first mainland (14) ____________ in Spain to ban bullfighting. The age-old sport has been part of Spanish life for (15) ____________. It has been held at La Maestranza arena in Seville since 1765. There are (16) ____________ of bullrings across the country.