La Mama Negra en Ecuador

Spanish online reading and listening practice - level B1

In Latacunga, Ecuador, they have a fiesta called La Santísima Tragedia, but everyone calls it Mama Negra and since 2005 it's been officially recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador.

This video gives you a feel of the festivities that take place, but it's not part of the exercise. Scroll down to view the bilingual article.

This reading and listening exercise can help you practise past participles as adjectives, the imperative for usted/ustedes/nosotros/nosotras (affirmative and negative commands) and using the imperative with reflexive pronouns (affirmative commands).

Text by Silvia Píriz and audio by a Latin American voice professional.

Exercise: La Mama Negra en Ecuador

Listen to the audio, then read the transcript. Click any phrase for the translation and links to related grammar lessons which you can add to your KwizIQ notebook to practise later.

How this exercise works

  1. Choose your setup
    Use the tick box above the text to turn translations and grammar tips on or off. When they're on, click on any phrase to see them.
  2. Read the text
    Work through the Interactive Reader at your own pace
  3. Answer the questions
    When you're ready, start the comprehension exercise

Answer in English: we're testing your understanding of the text, not your grammar or expression, so nothing you write here will be marked for accuracy. To get feedback on how you write, try one of our writing exercises.

InteractiveReader
Start the comprehension exercise
Getting that for you now...