If you’ve ever eaten a free doughnut (甜甜圈) on the first Friday in June, you’ve celebrated the Doughnut Lassies- whether you realized it or not, National Doughnut Day was established to honor the Salvation Army volunteers who fried sugary snacks for World War I soldiers on the front line.
When the US entered World War I in 1917, the Salvation Army, a charity organization, sent about 250 volunteers (who were mostly women) to France, where the American army was stationed. The plan was to bring treats and supplies as close to the front line as possible. But the closer the volunteers got to the action, the fewer resources they could access.
Margaret Sheldon and Helen Purviance were credited with bringing doughnuts to the Wester Front. They had a handful of ingredients, including flour, sugar, animal fats, baking powder and canned milk. Doughnuts were one of the few sweet foods they could make without an oven, and once they had a fire hot enough to heat the oil, they could fry them up fast. The women had the pan to cook them in, but for other parts, they had to get creative. For example, grape juice bottles became rolling pins (擀面杖) when necessary.
Sheldon and Purviance’s pan could fit seven doughnuts at a time, and on day one, they made just 150 doughnuts for the group of 800 men. The soldiers even fought over a doughnut. Then they made some changes to their operation, and eventually made 5,000 doughnuts a day. The snacks were so popular that the volunteers earned the nickname “ Doughnut Lassies”, while the soldiers they served were nicknamed “Doughboys”.
The Doughnut Lassies’ impact didn’t end with World War I. The American soldiers’ experiences overseas made doughnuts a commonly eaten food for them back home.
【小题1】What is the purpose of the Salvation Army in sending the volunteers?A.To learn about life on the front line. |
B.To provide French soldiers with food. |
C.To bring food and supplies to the front line. |
D.To increase the number of soldiers on the front line. |
A.Soldiers preferred doughnuts. |
B.They were best at making doughnuts. |
C.Doughnuts were their best choice then. |
D.Doughnuts allowed them to be creative. |
A.They were hopeless. |
B.They were confused. |
C.They became a bit angry. |
D.They were greatly encouraged. |
A.Doughnuts were more popular out of the US. |
B.The American soldiers got tired of doughnuts. |
C.The Doughnut Lassies’ impact didn’t last long. |
D.Doughnuts became popular in the US after the war. |