In a small village in England about 150 years ago, a mail coach (郵車) was standing on the street. Around the coach many people were talking to one another about it.

　　Mail coach did not come to that village so often in those days. People had to pay a lot of money to get a letter. The person who sent the letter did not have to pay. The person who got the letter had to pay the postage (郵資).

　　Heres a letter for Miss Alice Brown, said the mailman. Everyone turned to a girl of about eighteen who was standing by the coach. Im Alice Brown, she said in a low voice. The mailman gave her the letter.

　　Alice looked at the envelope for a minute, and then handed it back to the mailman.

　　Im sorry I cant take it, she said. I dont have enough money to pay the postage.

　　The people standing around were very sorry for the girl. They were silent for a while. Then a gentleman came up to the mailman and paid the postage for Alices letter.

　　When the gentleman gave her the letter, she said with a smile, Oh, thank you very much, sir. This letter is from the young man Im going to marry. His name is Tom. He went to London to look for work. He has to get enough money for our marriage (結婚). Ive waited a long time for this letter, but now dont need it. I dont have to open the envelope because there is nothing inside.

　　Really? the gentleman said in surprise. How do you know that? He told me that he would put some signs on the envelope. Look, sir, this cross in the corner means that he is well, and this circle means he has found work. Thats very good news.

　　The gentleman was Sir Rowland Hill. He did not forget Alice and her letter.

　　The postage to be paid by the receiver has to be changed, he said to himself. He thought and thought for many years. At last he had a good plan.

　　The postage has to be much lower, he said. What about a penny (便士) for a letter? And the person who sends the letter pays the postage. He has to buy a stamp and put it on the envelope.

　　A good idea! people said when they heard of his plan.

　　The Government decided to adopt (采納) the plan. The first postage stamp was put out in 1840. It was called the Penny Black. It had a picture of the Queen on it.

　　1.The first postage stamp was made ________.

　　A. in England B. in America C. by Alice D. in 1910

　　2.The girl handed the letter back to the mailman because ______.

　　A.she did not know whose letter it was

　　B.the letter had already told her what she wanted to know

　　C.she could not pay the postage

　　D.the gentleman promised to pay the postage for her

　　3.When the girl returned the letter to the mailman _____.

　　A.the people around her felt sorry for her　B.the people thought that the girl was too poor

　　C.none of them wanted to pay the postage for her　D.the people was angry with the girl

　　4.Alice knew how Tom was getting from the signs on the envelope because ______.

　　A.Tom had told her what the signs meant before leaving for London

　　B.Alice was clever and could guess the meaning of the signs

　　C.Alice had put the signs on the envelope herself

　　D.Tom had put the signs as Alice had told him to

　　5.The idea of using stamps was found by ______.

　　A. the government B. Sir Rowland Hill C. Alice Brown D. Tom

　　【答案與解析】

　　這是一篇關于付資郵票起源的歷史小故事。故事發生在一百多年前的英國。當時的情況是，寫信人不用付郵資，收信人在收到信件時才付郵資，且郵資十分昂貴。一位小姐收到男友的來信，看了看信封又交給了郵差。她說自己付不起錢。這時一位名叫Sir Rowland Hill的紳士替她付了錢。接下來，這位小姐便給大家講了自己不拆開信的緣由和一個很感動人的故事。Sir Rowland Hill.從這件事上很受啟發。他決定改變這種狀況。后來政府采納了Sir Rowland Hill.的建議，于是世界上第一枚付資郵票從些便產生了。

　　1. A 文末The first postage stamp was put out in 1840.一句只是講了第一枚郵票是1840年發行的，并未說出發明人是誰。考慮到故事發生在150年前的英國，故唯有A才符合題意。

　　2. B 姑娘將信遞給郵差發生在Sir Rowland Hill幫她付郵資之前，故選項D不對。根據姑娘所做的解釋，答案顯然非B莫屬。

　　3. A 答案就在The people standing around were very sorry for the girl.之中。

　　4. A 由He told me that he would put some signs on the envelope.一句及下面的說明，不難想象這是在小伙子離開倫敦時就告訴過姑娘的。

　　5. B Sir Rowland Hill從姑娘所講的故事中受到啟發，決定改變一下由收信人付費的方式。選項A有較大的迷惑性，但考慮到The Government decided to adopt the plan.可予以排除。

　　In a small village in England about 150 years ago, a mail coach (郵車) was standing on the street. Around the coach many people were talking to one another about it.

　　Mail coach did not come to that village so often in those days. People had to pay a lot of money to get a letter. The person who sent the letter did not have to pay. The person who got the letter had to pay the postage (郵資).

　　Heres a letter for Miss Alice Brown, said the mailman. Everyone turned to a girl of about eighteen who was standing by the coach. Im Alice Brown, she said in a low voice. The mailman gave her the letter.

　　Alice looked at the envelope for a minute, and then handed it back to the mailman.

　　Im sorry I cant take it, she said. I dont have enough money to pay the postage.

　　The people standing around were very sorry for the girl. They were silent for a while. Then a gentleman came up to the mailman and paid the postage for Alices letter.

　　When the gentleman gave her the letter, she said with a smile, Oh, thank you very much, sir. This letter is from the young man Im going to marry. His name is Tom. He went to London to look for work. He has to get enough money for our marriage (結婚). Ive waited a long time for this letter, but now dont need it. I dont have to open the envelope because there is nothing inside.

　　Really? the gentleman said in surprise. How do you know that? He told me that he would put some signs on the envelope. Look, sir, this cross in the corner means that he is well, and this circle means he has found work. Thats very good news.

　　The gentleman was Sir Rowland Hill. He did not forget Alice and her letter.

　　The postage to be paid by the receiver has to be changed, he said to himself. He thought and thought for many years. At last he had a good plan.

　　The postage has to be much lower, he said. What about a penny (便士) for a letter? And the person who sends the letter pays the postage. He has to buy a stamp and put it on the envelope.

　　A good idea! people said when they heard of his plan.

　　The Government decided to adopt (采納) the plan. The first postage stamp was put out in 1840. It was called the Penny Black. It had a picture of the Queen on it.

　　1.The first postage stamp was made ________.

　　A. in England B. in America C. by Alice D. in 1910

　　2.The girl handed the letter back to the mailman because ______.

　　A.she did not know whose letter it was

　　B.the letter had already told her what she wanted to know

　　C.she could not pay the postage

　　D.the gentleman promised to pay the postage for her

　　3.When the girl returned the letter to the mailman _____.

　　A.the people around her felt sorry for her　B.the people thought that the girl was too poor

　　C.none of them wanted to pay the postage for her　D.the people was angry with the girl

　　4.Alice knew how Tom was getting from the signs on the envelope because ______.

　　A.Tom had told her what the signs meant before leaving for London

　　B.Alice was clever and could guess the meaning of the signs

　　C.Alice had put the signs on the envelope herself

　　D.Tom had put the signs as Alice had told him to

　　5.The idea of using stamps was found by ______.

　　A. the government B. Sir Rowland Hill C. Alice Brown D. Tom

　　【答案與解析】

　　這是一篇關于付資郵票起源的歷史小故事。故事發生在一百多年前的英國。當時的情況是，寫信人不用付郵資，收信人在收到信件時才付郵資，且郵資十分昂貴。一位小姐收到男友的來信，看了看信封又交給了郵差。她說自己付不起錢。這時一位名叫Sir Rowland Hill的紳士替她付了錢。接下來，這位小姐便給大家講了自己不拆開信的緣由和一個很感動人的故事。Sir Rowland Hill.從這件事上很受啟發。他決定改變這種狀況。后來政府采納了Sir Rowland Hill.的建議，于是世界上第一枚付資郵票從些便產生了。

　　1. A 文末The first postage stamp was put out in 1840.一句只是講了第一枚郵票是1840年發行的，并未說出發明人是誰。考慮到故事發生在150年前的英國，故唯有A才符合題意。

　　2. B 姑娘將信遞給郵差發生在Sir Rowland Hill幫她付郵資之前，故選項D不對。根據姑娘所做的解釋，答案顯然非B莫屬。

　　3. A 答案就在The people standing around were very sorry for the girl.之中。

　　4. A 由He told me that he would put some signs on the envelope.一句及下面的說明，不難想象這是在小伙子離開倫敦時就告訴過姑娘的。

　　5. B Sir Rowland Hill從姑娘所講的故事中受到啟發，決定改變一下由收信人付費的方式。選項A有較大的迷惑性，但考慮到The Government decided to adopt the plan.可予以排除。