雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. Many people assume that the first stamps were introduced in the United Kingdom, but in fact, the concept of prepaid postage began much earlier. In the 17th century, France used a system where the recipient paid the fee, which led to many refusals. It wasn't until 1840 that Rowland Hill, a British teacher, proposed the Penny Black, which was the first adhesive stamp. Interestingly, the design of the stamp was based on a profile of Queen Victoria, and it was printed in black ink. However, because the black ink was easily cancelled, it was soon replaced by the Penny Red in 1841.