Deportes: La corrida de toros

Bullfighting is highly controversial - not only abroad but also in Spain itself.  As the English version of Wikipedia points out:

Supporters of bullfighting argue that it is a culturally important tradition and a fully developed art form on par with painting, dancing and music, while animal rights advocates hold that it is a blood sport resulting in the suffering of bulls and horses.

So I'm not really sure whether today, "sports day" on "Un Texto Al Día", is the day we should really deal with this topic -  or whether Thursday's "culture and history day" wouldn't be more appropriate ...

Anyhow.  First to the comprehension questions in English, so you can get some idea and context as to what the text we'll be looking at later on in the post will be about.  Remember, as always, try and answer the questions in Spanish - and by simply reading for gist (that is to say, for general meaning).

1. What is a bullfight?
2. Is a bullfight conducted on foot or on horseback?
3. Where does a bullfight take place?
4. What is the aim of a bullfight - is it a game like football or a work of art like theatre?
5. When was its current rules and regulations fixed?
6. What is the main difference between bullfighting in Spain and bullfighting in Portugal?
7. Where else do bullfights take place?
8. How are bullfights classified?

Now to the text itself. 

La corrida de toros o toreo es un espectáculo que consiste en lidiar varios toros bravos, a pie o a caballo, en un recinto cerrado para tal fin, la plaza de toros.

En la lidia participan varias personas, entre ellas los toreros, que siguen un estricto protocolo tradicional, reglamento de espectáculos taurino, regido por la intención estética; sólo puede participar como matador el torero que ha tomado la alternativa. Es el espectáculo de masas más antiguo de España y uno de los más antiguos del mundo. Como espectáculo moderno realizado a pie, fija sus normas y adopta su orden actual a finales del siglo XVIII en España, donde la corrida finaliza con la muerte del toro.

Las corridas de toros son consideradas una de las expresiones de la cultura hispánica. Se practican también en Portugal (donde, a excepción de algunos municipios, no se le da muerte al toro en la plaza desde 1836, durante el reinado de María II), en el sur de Francia y en diversos países de Hispanoamérica como Ecuador, México, Colombia, Perú, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panamá y Bolivia.

Las corridas pueden clasificarse, según la edad y el trapío del toro que se lidia, en becerradas, novilladas y corridas de toros propiamente dichas, y pueden desarrollarse a pie o a caballo. Si se ejecutan las suertes a caballo, el festejo recibe el nombre de corrida de rejones o rejoneo. Cuando se combinan ambas disciplinas en un mismo festejo, se denominan corridas mixtas.

And remember, if you are still at a loss to understand even the general meaning of the text, after working through all the comprehension questions, there is one tool still available to help you out.  Click here to go to Google Translate, copy the whole text above and paste it into the left-hand half of the Google Translate page - and it will be translated into a functional though not perfect English on the right-hand side.  This should help you a lot.

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