雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Good morning, class. Today we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. Many people assume that the first stamps were used in Britain, but actually, the first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, was introduced there in 1840. However, an even earlier system existed in France, where a type of prepaid envelope was used in the 1650s. But the real innovation came from a British teacher, Rowland Hill, who proposed that the sender, not the receiver, should pay for postage. This idea revolutionized mail delivery, making it more affordable and efficient. Interestingly, the first stamp with a perforated edge didn't appear until 1854, and it was created by a printing company, not the postal authority.