Every May a very special festival is held in front of Notre Dame, Paris’ annual bread festival: la Fête du Pain. It starts on the day of Saint-Honoré, the patron saint (守护神) of bakers, and ends the following Sunday. The festival hosts small bakeries and ovens within dozens of tents. This year (2024), an unexpected Chinese presence made an appearance at La Fête du pain.

A Chinese Internet user who attended the bread festival, posted a video on Douyin. In the video, a line of mantou was among the freshly baked food on display. The video quickly became popular on Chinese social media platforms, bringing attention to this most beloved staple food (主食) in Chinese diet.

Mantou is an important part of daily meals nationwide. When freshly steamed, it is a delight on its own, alternatively, it can be roasted to golden brown. Another option is pan-frying mantou. Sliced thinly and cooked with oil in a flat pan until golden brown on both sides, the mantou can be sandwiched between layers of eggs, ham, and other fillings for a satisfying meal. For those pursuing a crispy (酥脆的) delight, mantou can also be deep-fried. Frying sliced mantou directly in hot oil until achieving a golden brown and crispy texture. This crispy mantou can be enjoyed alone or alongside congee (zhou) and pickles (咸菜) for an even more fulfilling experience.

Xu, a Chinese student from Central China’s Hunan Province, who is studying in Paris, attended the bread festival. Xu said that she initially thought the event would showcase bread from the Western countries where bread is their staple food. “To my surprise, I saw Chinese mantou displayed as well. I found it very interesting that the French seem to consider mantou as a sort of Chinese bread,” Xu said. “I think the bread festival is also a form of cultural exchange, allowing more people to directly learn about the baking process of various breads from different countries,” she said, adding that “seeing mantou in the bread festival reminded me of my hometown.”

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1.What can we know about La Fête du pain from the first paragraph?

A Its sponsor.

B Its influence.

C Its participants.

D Its duration.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第一段第二句“It starts on the day of Saint-Honoré, the patron saint (守护神) of bakers, and ends the following Sunday.”可知，2024年巴黎“面包节”从圣多诺黑日开始，持续到下个星期天结束。故选D。

2.What does the underlined part “unexpected Chinese presence” refer to?

A A Chinese Internet user.

B Chinese mantou.

C A Chinese student.

D A bread lover.

解析：选B。B词意指代题。根据划线部分后文，第二段中的“a line of mantou was among the freshly baked food on display”可知，法国面包节来了一个令人意外的参赛者，即中国馒头。故选B。

3.What does the author want to convey through Paragraph 3?

A Mantou can be enjoyed in various ways.

B It is a tradition for families to make mantou.

C Mantou is deeply rooted in Chinese culture.

D Mantou is a central element in various celebrations.

解析：选A。A段落大意题。该段主要描述了作为中国常见主食之一馒头在吃法上有很多花样。故选A。

4.What is Xu’s attitude towards La Fête du pain?

A Doubtful.

B Positive.

C Disapproving.

D Uncaring.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句“I think the bread festival is also a form of cultural exchange, allowing more people to directly learn about the baking process of various breads from different countries”可知，徐认为面包节也是一种文化交流的形式，可以让更多的人直接了解来自不同国家的各种面包的烘焙过程，由此可知徐对该面包节持积极态度。故选B。