Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Running of the Bulls
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Spain is known for several traditional festivals that attract visitors from around the world. One of the most famous and controversial events is a daredevil activity in which people run through narrow streets ahead of charging bulls. This spectacle, held in Pamplona, has been described in literature, shown in films, and reported widely in the media. World geography and general knowledge exams often ask candidates to associate this event with its proper name and location.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question focuses on a famous daredevil event in Pamplona, Spain.
- Participants run in front of bulls through the streets as part of a festival.
- The options list Running of the Bulls, tomato throwing festival, international bullfighting championship, cheese rolling race, and night fireworks carnival.
- We assume that the student is aware of popular Spanish festivals mentioned in news and exam books.
Concept / Approach:
The event described is the Running of the Bulls, known in Spanish as the encierro, held during the San Fermín festival in Pamplona. Participants run ahead of bulls that are released into the streets and driven towards the bullring. While bullfighting also occurs during the festival, the specific act of running in front of the bulls through the streets is the Running of the Bulls. The tomato throwing festival, La Tomatina, takes place in Buñol, not Pamplona. Cheese rolling is associated with England, and generic fireworks carnivals are not unique to Pamplona.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Pamplona is internationally famous for the Running of the Bulls during the San Fermín festival.
Step 2: Note that the core feature of this event is volunteers running in front of bulls released into the city streets.
Step 3: Recognise that the tomato throwing festival refers instead to La Tomatina in Buñol.
Step 4: Understand that an international bullfighting championship would describe contests in an arena, not street running.
Step 5: Select Running of the Bulls as the correct name of the daredevil event in Pamplona.
Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by recalling common textbook and media references. Guides to Spain consistently describe Pamplona as the site of the Running of the Bulls, where participants and viewers gather each July. Travel programmes and documentaries show people dressed in white with red scarves, sprinting ahead of bulls along marked streets. In contrast, La Tomatina in Buñol is about throwing tomatoes, and cheese rolling is a rural English sport on a steep hill. This confirms that only Running of the Bulls fits the description given in the question.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Tomato throwing festival: This is incorrect because the tomato throwing festival, La Tomatina, is held in Buñol, not in Pamplona, and involves throwing tomatoes, not running with bulls.
International bullfighting championship: This is incorrect because bullfighting takes place in an arena and is different from the street running event described.
Cheese rolling race: This is incorrect because cheese rolling is a traditional event in England, not Spain, and does not involve bulls.
Night fireworks carnival: This is incorrect because many festivals use fireworks, but this does not describe the specific daredevil act of running in front of bulls in Pamplona.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may mix up different Spanish festivals and think that the tomato throwing event happens in Pamplona. Another error is to see the word bulls and choose bullfighting, forgetting that the question specifically mentions running in front of bulls through the streets. To avoid confusion, clearly link Pamplona with the Running of the Bulls and Buñol with La Tomatina. This association helps in answering related questions correctly.
Final Answer:
The famous daredevil event in Pamplona, Spain, is the Running of the Bulls.
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