高中数学阅读课教案(2)

When did people first begin to use stamps? Who was the first to think of this idea?In the early nineteenth century, people did not use stamps。 They had to pay postage when they received letters。 They were unhappy about this, especially when they paid for a letter which they did not wish to receive at all。 The postage was high at that time, because the post offices had to send many people to collect the postage。Rowland Hill, a schoolmaster in England, was the first to put forward a proposal to use stamps。

He thought it would be much easier for people to use stamps to cover postage。 They could go to the nearby post office to buy stamps and put them on envelopes before they sent the letters。 The post office could simply put seals on the stamps so that people could not use the stamps again。 In this way, the post office did not need to send postmen to collect postage。 It only needed to send fewer postmen to deliver letters。 That was a good idea and the government finally accepted it。On May 6, 1840, post offices throughout England began to sell stamps。 Soon this new postal system was taken up by other countries。 Now each country has its own stamps。 And there are many people who collect stamps all over the world。

Work Sheet 1:

Find the answers to the following questions from the passage:1. Why were people unhappy to pay postage for letters in the early nineteenth century?2. Why was it much easier for people to use stamps for postage?3. Why was the postage much lower using stamps?4. How could the post office prevent people from reusing the stamps?5. Did other countries take up the new postal system?6. Does every country in the world has its own stamps now?

Work Sheet 2:

Complete the dialogue with the information you have got:A: Oh, What a beautiful stamp!B: Yes, it\'s from the U.S.A..A: Do you know ____________________ people did not use stamps?B: Then how did they pay the postage?A: ___________________________________________________________.B: Was the postage very high then?A: ___________________________________________________________.B: Who put forward the proposal to use stamps?A: ___________________________________________________________.B: Why do post offices put seals on the stamps?A: ___________________________________________________________.B: When did post offices begin to sell stamps?A: ___________________________________________________________.B: Thank you for telling me so many things about stamps.