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3 Sept 2026
Revelers throw tomatoes at each other during the annual "Tomatina" tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol near Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Spain's Famous La Tomatina Food Fight Brings Red Fun to Buñol
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) People throw tomatoes in a street fight.
b) People throw apples in a park fight.
c) People throw watermelons at the beach.
Ask:
(1) Do you like messy games?
(2) Have you ever seen a big street festival?
VOCABULARY
festival (/ˈfes.tɪ.vəl/, noun)
Meaning: A happy time when people celebrate special events together.
Example: The village holds a fun festival every summer.
truck (/trʌk/, noun)
Meaning: A large motor vehicle used to carry heavy things.
Example: A big truck arrives with lots of ripe fruit.
squishy (/ˈskwɪʃ.i/, adjective)
Meaning: Soft and easy to press or crush.
Example: The wet red tomato is very squishy.
crowd (/kraʊd/, noun)
Meaning: A large group of people gathered together.
Example: A happy crowd cheers in the narrow street.
hoses (/həʊzɪz/, noun)
Meaning: Long flexible tubes that spray water.
Example: Firefighters use hoses to clean the village walls.
goggles (/ˈɡɒɡ.əlzo/, noun)
Meaning: Special glasses that protect your eyes.
Example: Children wear goggles to keep juice out of their eyes.
Many people visit Buñol in Spain today. They are celebrating a famous festival called La Tomatina. Big trucks carry red tomatoes into the crowded streets. The tomatoes are soft and very squishy.
People squash the tomatoes first. Then they throw them at each other. Soon, the street becomes a bright red river of tomato juice. Everyone wears goggles to protect their eyes.
This fun fight lasts for one hour. A loud signal stops the food fight. People laugh and take photos together. Big fire hoses spray clean water on the dirty streets. The walls become very clean again quickly!
Listen
Revelers throw tomatoes at each other during the annual “Tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol near Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(1) Would you like to take part in La Tomatina?
(2) Why do you think people squash the tomatoes before throwing them?
(3) What clothes would you wear to a messy food fight?
(4) How do the workers clean the streets after the festival?
(5) Do you have any fun festivals in your country?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: crowd, festival, squishy, truck
Many people visit Buñol in Spain today. They are celebrating a famous _______(1) called La Tomatina. Big _______(2) carry red tomatoes into the crowded streets. The tomatoes are soft and very _______(3).
People squash the tomatoes first. Then they throw them at each other. Soon, the street becomes a bright red river of tomato juice. Everyone wears goggles to protect their eyes.
This fun fight lasts for one hour. A loud signal stops the food fight. A happy _______(4) laughs and takes photos together. Big fire hoses spray clean water on the dirty streets. The walls become very clean again quickly!
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of this story?
a) People in Spain plant tomatoes in summer.
b) People in Buñol celebrate a fun tomato food fight festival.
c) Firefighters use hoses to paint red walls.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
(1) La Tomatina takes place in Spain. T/F
(2) The tomato fight lasts for five hours. T/F
(3) Workers clean the streets with fire hoses. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put these events in order (1-3):
[ ] Big trucks carry tomatoes into the streets.
[ ] Fire hoses spray water to clean the streets.
[ ] People squash and throw tomatoes for one hour.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
(1) festival
(2) truck
(3) squishy
(4) goggles
(5) hoses
a) soft and easy to press
b) tubes that spray water
c) glasses that protect eyes
d) a big vehicle for carrying heavy things
e) a happy celebration event
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
(1) The streets are very ______ during the festival.
a) crowded
b) quiet
(2) People wear goggles to ______ their eyes.
a) protect
b) wash
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
Unscramble the words to make complete sentences:
(1) A: carry / B: trucks / C: tomatoes / D: big / E: red
(2) A: fight / B: lasts / C: one / D: the / E: hour
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up Answer: a
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
(1) festival
(2) truck
(3) squishy
(4) crowd
Section 2: Main Idea
b
Section 3: True or False
(1) T
(2) F
(3) T
Section 4: Put Events in Order
[1] Big trucks carry tomatoes into the streets.
[3] Fire hoses spray water to clean the streets.
[2] People squash and throw tomatoes for one hour.
Section 5: Vocab Match
(1) e
(2) d
(3) a
(4) c
(5) b
Section 6: Discussion Builder
(1) a
(2) a
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
(1) Big trucks carry red tomatoes. (D-B-A-E-C)
(2) The fight lasts one hour. (D-A-B-C-E)
Section 8: Discussion Questions
Student's own answers based on the article.
Thank you for your feedback!