The Postage Stamp

11/16/2020 10:36:00 PM

Listen and answer the questions.

When were the first stamps made?

  • In 1814
  • In 1840
  • In 1874

What was the color of the first stamps?

  • White and black
  • Blue and pink
  • Blue and black

Read the passage and answer the questions.

The Postage Stamp

Before the invention of the postage stamp, it was difficult to send a letter to another country. The sender paid for the letter to travel in his or her own country. Then the person in the other country paid for that part of the trip. If a letter crossed several countries, the problem was worse.

Rowland Hill, a British teacher, had the idea of a postage stamp with glue on the back. The British post office made the first stamps in 1840. They were the penny black and the Twopence Blue. A person bought a stamp and put in on a letter. The post office delivered the letter. When people received letters, they didn’t have to pay anything. The letters were prepaid.

Postage stamps became popular in Great Britain immediately. Other countries started making their own postage stamps very quickly.

There were still problems with international mail. Some countries did not want to accept any letters with stamps from another country. Finally, in 1874, a German organized the Universal Postal System. Each country in the UPS agreed to accept letters with prepaid postage from the other members. Today, the offices of the UPS are in Switzerland. Almost every country in the world is a member of this organization. It takes care of any international mail problems.

Today, post offices in every country sell beautiful stamps. Collecting stamps is one of the popular hobbies in the world, and every stamp collector knows about the Penny Black and the Twopence Blue.

Source: Facts and Figures

Why was it difficult to send a letter to another country before the invention of the postage stamp?

  • It took more money to send a letter to other places.
  • The letter must be prepaid only by the sender.
  • It was impossible to send a letter across different countries.
  • There was no post office to deliver letters.
Who invented the postage stamp?
  • An officer
  • A postman
  • A delivery man
  • A British teacher

What was the problem with international mail?

  • When people received letters, they had to pay a lot.
  • Each country in the UPS only accepted letters with prepaid postage from the other members.
  • Some countries did not accept letters with stamps from another country.
  • There was not any organization to take care of mail problems.

Put the right word in the blanks. The sentences are from the text.

1. Before the invention of the , it was difficult to send a letter to another country.

2. The post office the letter.

3. If a letter several countries, the problem was worse.

4. Some countries did not want to letters with stamps from other countries.

5. The letters were .

6. There were still problems with mail.

7.  Today, the offices of the UPS are in Switzerland. Almost every country in the world is a member of this .

8. Postage stamps became popular in Great Britain .

Put the right word in the blanks.

1. Children have to be careful when they the street.

2. Mr. Ross is going to the post office because he has to buy some .

3. If you buy living room furniture, the store will it.

4. Please go to your office . You have a phone call.

5. The teacher will not homework if it is a week late. She won’t take it.

6. Ms.Jane teaches Science in an school.

7. Sarah joined a student .

8. What is the best phone in 2021?