About 150 years ago, the person who sent the letter did not have to pay. The person who got the letter had to pay the postage (邮资) which cost a lot.
In a small village in England, “Here’s a letter for Miss Alice Brown,” said a mailman. “I’m Alice Brown,” a girl of about eighteen said in a low voice. The mailman gave her the letter.
Alice looked at the envelope(信封) for a minute, and then handed it back to the mailman.
“I’m sorry I can’t take it,” she said. “I don’t have enough money to pay the postage.”
The people standing around were very sorry for the girl. Then a gentleman came up to the mailman and paid the postage for Alice’s letter.
When the gentleman gave her the letter, she said with a smile, “Oh, thank you very much, sir. This letter is from my brother who went to London to look for jobs. I’ve waited a long time for this letter, but now I don’t need it. I don’t 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 a job. That’s very good news.”
The gentleman was Sir Rowland Hill. He did not forget Alice and her letter.
He thought and thought for many years. “The postage has to be much lower,” he said at last. “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.”
The government decided to adopt (采纳) the plan. The first stamp was put out in 1840. It was called the “Penny Black”. It had a picture of the Queen on it.
根据短文内容填空，每空填一词。
小题1: About 150 years ago, the person who sent the letter didn’t have to pay for the postage_________ the person who _________ the letter had to.
小题2:The gentleman felt very __________ when the girl said there wasn’t _________ inside the envelope.
小题3: Alice’s brother was such a _________ young man that he just put some ________ on the envelope to tell her sister he was well.
小题4:In 1840, the first stamp _________ the “Penny Black” was put out ________ a picture of the Queen on it.
小题5:After that, people needed to ________ a penny buying a _______ to send a letter.
