In July 1945, a tomato fight started in the market square of Buňol, near Valencia in Spain. Two young men began to argue and, because they were standing next to a fruit stall, they picked up tomatoes and threw them at each other. Other people joined in but the police soon stopped the fight. The young men had to pay for all the tomatoes that they threw. The following year young people in the town met again at the market square and started another tomato fight. Again, the police stopped the fight, but a tradition began: la tomatina. A few years later the local government banned the tomato fight, but the people continued the tradition illegally.
In 1995, the fight became legal again, but the participants had to follow two simple rules: they couldn’t start throwing tomatoes until a special signal, and they had to stop exactly an hour later. Today, la tomatina is a big tourist attraction. It takes place every year on the last Wednesday in August. About 40,000 people join in the fight and throw over 100 tones of tomatoes at each other. After the fight everyone gathers in the square and eats and drinks until late in the evening.
- The tomato fight takes place in Spain.
- The police banned the fight.
- Tourists don’t travel to the town during the tomato fight.
- About 100 tones of tomatoes are thrown over in the fight every year. __________________
Read the passage again and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D).
- What is the passage referred to ____________________.
A. A traditional festival of the world B. An unusual festival in Spain
C. What to do during the festival D. Activities after the fight
- The la tomatina started in ____________________.
A. 1945 B. 1946 C. 1949 D. 1959
