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 UK in 1840, but in fact, a similar system existed in France as early as 1653. However, those early stamps were not adhesive; they had to be attached with string. The first adhesive stamp, the Penny Black, was indeed British, but it was not the first postal stamp overall. Also, contrary to popular belief, the Penny Black was not the first stamp to feature a portrait; that honor goes to a Swiss stamp from 1843. So, when we talk about the 'first stamp', we need to clarify what we mean.