雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. Before the 19th century, delivering letters was slow and unreliable, especially for long distances. In 1840, the first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, was introduced in Britain. This revolutionized communication by making postage affordable for ordinary people. However, it wasn't until the late 19th century that international postal agreements were established, which standardized rates between countries. Interestingly, the first airmail service began in 1911 in England, during a short flight between two towns. But it took several more decades for airmail to become a common method for sending letters worldwide.