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 postal system was invented in the 19th century, but in fact, its origins date back to ancient Persia around 550 BC. The Persian king Cyrus the Great established a network of mounted messengers to deliver royal decrees across his vast empire. However, it was the Romans who later improved this system by building dedicated roads and staging posts, allowing messages to travel up to 170 miles per day. Interestingly, the first official postal service for the general public, rather than just for government use, was introduced in England in 1635 by King Charles I. This service allowed ordinary citizens to send letters for a fee, which was a revolutionary concept at the time.