Art & Culture
The Sweet Story of National Donut Day
2 Jun 2026
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Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Donuts were first made by kings in ancient castles.
b) Brave women made donuts for soldiers during a big war.
c) Donut shops are closed on the first Friday of June.
Ask:
Do you like to eat donuts? What is your favorite flavor?
Why do you think people give sweet treats to their friends?
VOCABULARY
volunteer
Noun
homesick
Adjective
ingredient
Noun
helmet
Noun
celebrate
Verb
vɒlənˈtɪə
a person who chooses to do a job to help others without getting money
Example: The volunteer helped clean up the city park on Saturday.
həʊmsɪk
feeling sad because you are away from your home and family
Example: The little boy felt homesick during his first night at summer camp.
ɪnˈɡriːdiənt
one of the things that you use to make a particular food
Example: Flour is an important ingredient when you want to bake a cake.
ˈhelmɪt
a hard hat that protects your head from danger or injury
Example: You must always wear a strong helmet when you ride your bicycle.
ˈselɪbreɪt
to do something special and fun for an important day or event
Example: My family will cook a big dinner to celebrate my sister's graduation.
Many people love to eat sweet treats. June 5, 2026, is a special day called National Donut Day. This fun holiday happens every year on the first Friday in June. It has a very kind history. A group called The Salvation Army started this holiday in 1938.
Long ago, during World War I, female volunteers traveled to France. They wanted to help American soldiers who felt homesick. The women used simple things like flour, sugar, and milk to make fresh donuts. They did not have donut cutters, so they shaped the dough by hand. They even fried the donuts inside soldiers' metal helmets!
These helpful women were called "Donut Lassies". Today, many donut shops give away free donuts to celebrate this sweet day.
Listen
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When do people celebrate National Donut Day in 2026?
2. Why did the female volunteers travel to France long ago?
3. What did the women use as cooking pans when making the donuts?
4. Do you think a small treat can make a person feel better when they are sad?
5. What is another food that reminds you of your home or family?
6. Would you like to be a volunteer helper one day? Why?
FILL IN THE GAPS
1: FILL IN THE GAPS
Word Bank: ingredient / celebrate / volunteer / helmet / homesick
June 5 is a fun holiday, and many people love to (1) _______________ National Donut Day. The history started when a female (2) _______________ group traveled to France to help soldiers. The soldiers felt very (3) _______________ because they missed their families. The women used sugar as a sweet (4) _______________ to make dough. They even cooked the food inside a soldier's metal (5) _______________ to make the troops happy!
2: MAIN IDEA
Choose one:
National Donut Day was started to honor kind women who made treats to comfort homesick soldiers.
Baking donuts inside metal pots is the fastest way for big restaurants to make food today.
American soldiers in France decided to stop eating sugar and milk during World War I.
UNDERSTANDING
3: TRUE OR FALSE
National Donut Day is celebrated every year on the first Friday of June. T / F
The volunteers had professional donut cutters to shape the dough perfectly. T / F
The women who made the sweet treats were nicknamed "Donut Lassies". T / F
4: PUT EVENTS IN ORDER
Put the events from the story in the correct order from first (1) to last (3):
_____ The Salvation Army created National Donut Day to raise funds for people in need.
_____ Female volunteers cooked donuts in helmets to cheer up sad soldiers in France.
_____ Modern donut stores give away free treats to customers on the special Friday.
LANGUAGE
Vocabulary Match
Match each vocabulary word with its definition:
1. Volunteer
2. Homesick
3. Ingredient
4. Helmet
5. Celebrate
a) One part of a food mixture.
b) Missing your home and family.
c) A hard hat used for protection.
d) To have fun on a special holiday.
e) A person who works without pay to help.
USE IT
6: DISCUSSION BUILDER
Choose the best phrase for each gap:
1. The volunteers did not have tools, _______________ they shaped the dough with their hands.
(but / because / so)
2. The soldiers loved the treats _______________ the fresh aroma reminded them of home.
(so / because / but)
7: SENTENCE UNSCRAMBLE
1. A. love B. donuts. C. Children D. to E. eat
2. A. made B. They C. helmets. D. treats E. inside
ANSWER KEY
Think Ahead: b
Section 1 (Fill in the Gaps):
(1) celebrate, (2) volunteer, (3) homesick, (4) ingredient, (5) helmet
Section 2 (Main Idea):
National Donut Day was started to honor kind women who made treats to comfort homesick soldiers.
Section 3 (True or False):
1. True
2. False
3. True
Section 4 (Put Events in Order):
1. 2
2. 1
3. 3
Section 5 (Vocab Match):
1. e
2. b
3. a
4. c
5. d
Section 6 (Discussion Builder):
1. so, 2. because
Section 7 (Sentence Unscramble):
1. Children love to eat donuts.
2. They made treats inside helmets.