Comprehension Questions

1. Who was Mari Paz Vega and why was she special?

 She was the world’s first professional female bull fighter. Because, during Fransisco
Fransco’s dictatorship, women were banned from attending a bull fight, to say nothing
of actually fighting.

2. Why has bullfighting been referred to as “cruelty to animals”?

 They (Spanish fans) tell us that these ferocious creatures are bred for the arena.

3. What did Spanish fans think of a bull that died in a fight?

 They (Spanish fans) also tell us that the bull die with honour.

4. What did Spanish fans think of a “matador” or “matadora” who was defeated by the
bull in fight?

 The bullfighter whose poor performance, could shame them for life.

5. What happened during the dictator Fransisco Fransco’s rule?

 During Fransisco Fransco’s dictatorship, women were banned from attending a bull
fight, to say nothing of actually fighting. But before and after, bullfighting has been
the most macho of sports.

6. Which phrase in the passage express the attitudes of people who oppose bullfighting?

 Because they saw the sport as a vestige of barbarism.

 They (Spanish fans) tell us that these ferocious creatures are bred for the arena.
 Many clapped for her great escape, but some in the crowd wanted a gory finish.

7. How do you know that the Spanish society has been changing?

 However, lately the attitude towards bullfighting in Spain has been changing. In
traditional sport and one so central to Spanish identity, Vega has been challenging
tradition while keeping it alive, and if public has been more open to the idea of a
“matadora”, it has also been less interested in bullfighting in general. The Spanish
society is also beginning to accept broader roles for women from politics to business
to bullfighting.