雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Today we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. In the 19th century, the introduction of the penny post in Britain revolutionized communication. Before that, postage was paid by the recipient, which often led to refusal or delays. The reform, led by Rowland Hill in 1840, introduced prepaid stamps, making the service affordable for ordinary people. Interestingly, the first stamp, the Penny Black, featured a portrait of Queen Victoria and was printed without perforations, so clerks had to cut each stamp with scissors. This system quickly spread to other countries, but the speed of delivery remained slow until the arrival of railways and steamships.