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 mail delivery began in the 19th century, but actually, organized postal systems date back to ancient Persia. However, the first public postal service, which allowed ordinary citizens to send letters, was established in Britain in 1635. It was called the 'Royal Mail'. Interestingly, the cost of sending a letter was originally paid by the recipient, not the sender. This changed in 1840 with the introduction of the penny post, when the sender prepaid for the stamp. This innovation greatly increased the volume of mail.