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 postage stamp revolutionized communication. Before stamps, the receiver often paid for the mail, which was expensive and inconvenient. The first adhesive stamp, the Penny Black, was issued in Britain in 1840. It featured a portrait of Queen Victoria and cost one penny, making mail affordable for ordinary people. This innovation led to a dramatic increase in the volume of letters sent. By the late 1800s, many countries had adopted similar systems, and postal networks expanded globally. However, the Penny Black was only in use for one year because the red cancellation mark was hard to see on the black stamp, so it was replaced by the Penny Red.