雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Today we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. In the 19th century, mail was often delivered by horse-drawn carriages, which was slow and unreliable. The introduction of the railway in the 1830s revolutionized mail delivery, cutting travel time from days to hours. However, it was the invention of the postage stamp in 1840 that made prepayment possible, ensuring that the sender, not the receiver, paid for the service. This reduced the cost and increased efficiency. By the early 20th century, motor vehicles began to replace horse-drawn carriages for local deliveries, further speeding up the process.