In a small village in England about 150 years ago, a mail coach (邮车) 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 (邮资).

　　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 (结婚). 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 (采纳) 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

　　【答案与解析】

　　这是一篇关于付资邮票起源的历史小故事。故事发生在一百多年前的英国。当时的情况是，写信人不用付邮资，收信人在收到信件时才付邮资，且邮资十分昂贵。一位小姐收到男友的来信，看了看信封又交给了邮差。她说自己付不起钱。这时一位名叫Sir Rowland Hill的绅士替她付了钱。接下来，这位小姐便给大家讲了自己不拆开信的缘由和一个很感动人的故事。Sir Rowland Hill.从这件事上很受启发。他决定改变这种状况。后来政府采纳了Sir Rowland Hill.的建议，于是世界上第一枚付资邮票从些便产生了。

　　1. A 文末The first postage stamp was put out in 1840.一句只是讲了第一枚邮票是1840年发行的，并未说出发明人是谁。考虑到故事发生在150年前的英国，故唯有A才符合题意。

　　2. B 姑娘将信递给邮差发生在Sir Rowland Hill帮她付邮资之前，故选项D不对。根据姑娘所做的解释，答案显然非B莫属。

　　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.一句及下面的说明，不难想象这是在小伙子离开伦敦时就告诉过姑娘的。

　　5. B Sir Rowland Hill从姑娘所讲的故事中受到启发，决定改变一下由收信人付费的方式。选项A有较大的迷惑性，但考虑到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 (邮车) 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 (邮资).

　　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 (结婚). 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 (采纳) 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

　　【答案与解析】

　　这是一篇关于付资邮票起源的历史小故事。故事发生在一百多年前的英国。当时的情况是，写信人不用付邮资，收信人在收到信件时才付邮资，且邮资十分昂贵。一位小姐收到男友的来信，看了看信封又交给了邮差。她说自己付不起钱。这时一位名叫Sir Rowland Hill的绅士替她付了钱。接下来，这位小姐便给大家讲了自己不拆开信的缘由和一个很感动人的故事。Sir Rowland Hill.从这件事上很受启发。他决定改变这种状况。后来政府采纳了Sir Rowland Hill.的建议，于是世界上第一枚付资邮票从些便产生了。

　　1. A 文末The first postage stamp was put out in 1840.一句只是讲了第一枚邮票是1840年发行的，并未说出发明人是谁。考虑到故事发生在150年前的英国，故唯有A才符合题意。

　　2. B 姑娘将信递给邮差发生在Sir Rowland Hill帮她付邮资之前，故选项D不对。根据姑娘所做的解释，答案显然非B莫属。

　　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.一句及下面的说明，不难想象这是在小伙子离开伦敦时就告诉过姑娘的。

　　5. B Sir Rowland Hill从姑娘所讲的故事中受到启发，决定改变一下由收信人付费的方式。选项A有较大的迷惑性，但考虑到The Government decided to adopt the plan.可予以排除。