雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

In today's lecture, we'll discuss the history of the postal service. Before the 19th century, letters were usually delivered by private couriers and were quite expensive, so only the wealthy could afford them. In 1840, Britain introduced the Penny Post, which standardized the cost at one penny regardless of distance. This reform made mail affordable for the general public and led to a dramatic increase in the volume of letters sent. Interestingly, the initiative was driven by the educator Rowland Hill, who believed that low-cost postage would encourage communication and literacy. His system also introduced prepaid stamps, which became a model for other countries.