1、2019-2019学年第一学期会昌中学期中考试高三英语试卷本试卷分第I卷（选择题）和第II卷（非选择题）两部分。全卷满分150分，考试时间120分钟。第I卷（选择题 共100分）第一部分：听力（共两节，满分30分）第一节 听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。1. What does Mrs. Jones do every day? A. Play tennis.B. Work overtime.C. Go jogging.2. What does the apar
2、tment lack according to the man? A. Laundry machines.B. Decorations.C. Bedroom furniture.3. How many pages has the man written?A. Two.B. Eight.C. Ten.4. What will the woman probably do next?A. Turn left.B. Turn back.C. Park the car.5. Where does the conversation take place? A. At a caf.B. At a gas s
3、tation.C. At a parking lot.第二节 听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。6. Why wont the man take Flight F8008?A. Its not a direct flight.B. It leaves too early in the morning.C. The tickets are not available.7. When wil
4、l the man go to New York? A. On Wednesday.B. On Tuesday.C. On Monday.听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。8. What is the womans attitude towards taking up golf? A. Careful. B. Negative. C. Confident.9. According to the woman, why is she considering the sport?A. To feel young again. B. To have more exercise. C. To spend m
5、ore time with her husband.听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。10. Where does the man notice the red things first?A. On the womans legs.B. On the womans face.C. On the womans arms.11. What might cause the red things? A. A plant.B. Some food.C. Oily skin.12. What will the woman probably do next? A. Go to the drugstore.B
6、. Eat something different.C. Receive hospital treatment.听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。13. What does the man want to get?A. A crazy haircut.B. A nail special.C. A basic haircut.14. When does the man get his hair cut? A. At 3:30.B. At around 3:00.C. At about 4:00.15. Where does the man live? A. In New York.B. In L
7、os Angeles.C. In Washington D.C.16. What does the man do for a living?A. He works for a newspaper.B. He works as a novelist.C. He works for the government.听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。17. Why was the postage rate high in the early times?A. Many people were employed to put stamps on envelopes.B. The post office
8、s had to send many people to collect the postage.C. The post offices had to send many people to deliver letters.18. Who was Rowland Hill?A. A schoolmaster.B. A postman.C. A government official.19. How can the post office prevent people from reusing the stamps?A. By coloring them.B. By putting seals
9、on them.C. By collecting them back.20. When did people first begin to use stamps?A. In 1919.B. In 1900.C. In 1840.第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题：每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。AThe Nobel Prize-winning Mexican writer Octavio Paz said, “The art of the festival has been debas
10、ed（下降） almost everywhere else, but not in Mexico.” Here are several events that would have made him proud:Morelia International Film FestivalThe Morelia film fest really brings this colonial city to life in mid-October. Created as a platform for documentaries and fiction works, the programming offer
11、s an up-close look at Mexican society as seen through the eyes of a new generation of filmmakers. Fashionable bars and sidewalk cafes are buzzing with activity around the main square, where crowds gather nightly for open-air screenings and other cultural events.Day of the DeadEach year on November 1
12、st and 2nd, Mexico turns its thoughts to the departed during the Day of the Dead festivities, a colorful tradition deeply rooted in native culture. For Mexicans, death is more a cause for celebration than mourning, and that spirit has been kept very much alive in Ptzcuaro, the Da de Muertos mecca. P
13、repare yourself to battle large crowds of the living.Carnival in Veracruz &MazatlnMexico hosts many carnival celebrations every year featuring exciting parades, dance performances, live music and of course, big-time partying. The nine-day event in Veracruz, Mexicos biggest carnival, usually kicks of
14、f in March, right around the same time when festivities get started on the Pacific coast in Mazatln. You can shake your body with salsa music in Veracruz or the brass band sounds of Mazatln.La MorismaAn all-out war erupts on the streets of colonial Zacatecas, usually around late August. OK, well, it
15、s actually a mock battle with well over 2,000 participants re-enacting battles between the Christians and Moors in old Spain. The faux（假的）soldiers attack one another while accompanied on the streets by bands of musicians.21. How do the Mexicans feel when the Day of the Dead comes? A. Calm B. Anxious
16、 C. Scared D. Happy22. What can people enjoy in both Carnival in Veracruz &Mazatln and La Morisma?A. Exciting paradesB. Dance performances.C. Live music.D. A mock battle23. What is the purpose of the text?A. To tell something about a Nobel Prize-winning writer.B. To introduce some famous Mexican fes
17、tivals.C. To advise readers to join in the Mexican events.D. To criticize the bad customs of Mexican festivals.BOne day a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The professor handed out the qu
18、estion paper, with the text facing down as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked his students to turn the page and begin. To everyones surprise, there were no questions but a black dot in the center of the page. The professor seeing the expression on everyone face, told them the following, “I
19、 want you to write what you see there.”The students were confused and got started on the inexplicable (令人不解的) task.At the end of the class the professor took all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students. All of them with no exceptions, described the b
20、lack dot, explained its position in the middle of the sheet, imagined what the black dot stood for and so on.After all had been read, the classroom was silent. The professor began to explain, “I am not going to grade on you this time. I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote
21、about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot and the same happens in our lives. We have a white paper to observe and enjoy, but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is filled with love and care, and we always have reasons to celebratenature renewing itself every day, o
22、ur friends around us, the job that provides our livelihood, the miracles we see every day”In fact, we insist on focusing only on the dark spotsthe health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friend, etc. Take your eyes
23、 away from the black spots in your life. The dark spots are very small compared to everything we have in our lives, so enjoy each moment that life gives you.24. Why did the students feel confused about the test? A. The professor didnt ask them to prepare for the test.B. There was totally nothing on
24、the question paper.C. It was too hard for them to answer the questions.D. They hadnt seen such an unusual question paper before.25. Which of the following is NOT mentioned on the students answer papers?A. The meaning of the black dot. B. The description of the black dot.C. The white part of the pape
25、r. D. The position of the black dot.26. What is the professors purpose in giving this test?A. To show the students how hard the life is.B. To remind the students of the joys in life.C. To let the students know their shortcomings.D. To encourage the students to study harder.27. What does the underlin
26、ed sentence in the last paragraph mean?A. Dont pay attention to the hardship in life.B. Remove the black spots out of our life.C. Dont focus on others faults but yours.D. Remember you cant see all the things in life.COne of the questions surrounding climate change is how it might affect the food sup
27、ply for a growing global population. A new study suggests that researchers have been overlooking how two key human responses to climatehow much land people choose to farm, and the number of crops they plantwill affect food production in the future. The new study focused on the Brazilian state of Mat
28、o Grosso, an emerging（新兴的）global breadbasket（产粮地区）that as of 2019 supplied 10 percent of the worlds soybeans. The researchers used variations in temperature and precipitation（降水）across the state over an eight-year period to estimate the sensitivity of the regions agricultural production to climate c
29、hange. Those historical comparisons can help in making predictions about the sensitivity of agriculture to future climate change.The study found that, if the patterns from 2019 to 2019 hold in the future, an increase in average temperature in Mato Grosso of just 1 degree will lead to a 9 to 13 perce
30、nt reduction in overall production of soy and corn. “This is worrisome given that the temperature in the study region is predicted to rise by 2 degrees by 2050,” said Avery Cohn, who led the study.Most studies of this kind look only at the extent to which climate shocks affect crop output. But resea
31、rchers can miss critical dynamics（动力）that can affect overall output, says Leah VanWey, one of the studys senior authors. “If you look at output alone, youre not looking at all of the information because there are economic and social changes going on as well,” said VanWey.If output decreases, farmers
32、 may put less land area into production because its not profitable. Farmers may also vary the number of crops they plant in a growing season. Double cropping is common in Mato Grosso. But if the weather is bad, farmers may change their decision to plant a second crop.28. The value of the new study l
33、ies in _.A. increasing the number of crops people plantB. focusing on an emerging global breadbasketC. making predictions about human responses to climate changeD. controlling peoples choice of their farming area and crop numbers29. According to Avery Cohn, by 2050, the overall production of soy and
34、 corn will _.A. remain almost unchangedB. decrease by more than 9%C. increase by from 9% to 13%D. decrease by more than 18%30. What can we know about the similar studies mentioned in paragraph 3?A. They cant provide exact information to farmers.B. They dont take into consideration some key factors.C
35、. Their discouraging results largely affect overall crop output.D. They pay too much attention to economic and social changes.31. What is the last paragraph mainly about?A. Farmers possible reactions to climate shocks.B. Possible climate change in Mato Grosso.C. The benefits of double cropping in Ma
36、to Grosso.D. Farmers decision on planting crops in the future.DIt is believed that some of animals think a great deal. Many of them are like children in their sports. Some birds are very lively in their sports; and the same is true with some insects. The ants, hardworking as they are, have their tim
37、es for play. They run races; they wrestle; and sometimes they have mock fights together. Very busy must be their thoughts while engaged in these sports.Animals think much while building their houses. The bird searches for what it can use in building its nest, and in doing this it thinks. The beavers
38、 think as they build their dams and their houses. They think in getting their materials, and also in arranging them, and in plastering them together with mud. Some spiders build houses which could scarcely have been made except by some thinking creature.As animals think, they learn. Some learn more
39、than others. The parrot learns to talk, though in some other respects it is quite stupid. The mocking bird learns to imitate a great many different sounds. The shepherd dog does not know as much about most things as some other dogs, and yet he understands very well how to take care of sheep.Though a
40、nimals think and learn, they do not make any real improvement in their ways of doing things, as men do. Each kind of bird has its own way of building a nest, and it is always the same way. They have no new fashions, and learn none from each other.It is plain that, while animals learn about things by
41、 their senses as we do, they do not think nearly as much about what they learn, and this is the reason why they do not improve more rapidly. Even the wisest of them, as the elephant and the dog, do not think very much about what they see and hear. Nor is this all. There are some things that we under
42、stand, but about which animals know nothing. They have no knowledge of anything that happens outside of their own observation. Their minds are so much unlike ours that they do not know the difference between right and wrong.32. Why does the author mention that some birds and insects are very lively
43、in their sports?A. To illustrate that some animals probably think in the sports.B. To tell us that some birds and insects are more lively than others.C. To show us that ants are the cleverest insects in the animal kingdom.D. To attract readers by introducing some interesting facts about animals.33.
44、“Animals think much while building their houses” because _. A. they have to communicate with each other in getting their materialB. they have to calculate something to arrange all the materialC. no animals have a must to build a “house” except some thinking creaturesD. it is unimaginable to build “h
45、ouses” without thinking work involved34. The underlined word plain in Paragraph 5 can be replaced by _.A. flatB. clearC. vitalD. reasonable 35. The author will probably agree that _.A. animals cant think as a matter of factB. animals cant really learn to do somethingC. animals can think and learn bu
46、t limitedlyD. each kind of animal has their own language第二节 (共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分) 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。If you stayed up or had a bad night of sleep last night, you know its difficult to stay awake in class today. Your teachers voice might begin to sound like a lullaby（催眠曲）. 36 To ke
47、ep yourself awake, some tips are worth trying in class.Sit in the front of the room. Why? 37 Besides, itll be easier to pay attention and participate when youre in the front. Youll also be near the people who are more likely to participate, and the sound of their voices might keep you awake. 38 Ask
48、and answer questions and pay attention to the lecture. This will help if youre tired or discouraged by the content of the lecture, because you can ask your teacher questions to get to the bottom of the problems. Talking will also keep you engaged and alert. It might be helpful to make a goal for you
49、rself to answer or ask at least 3 questions per class. 39 For example, you might say “I didnt understand the last part of the proof. Could you explain it again in more detail?”Listen actively to the lesson. Active listening is a great way to force yourself to stay awake because it requires engagemen
50、t of your mind as well as your body. 40 To effectively listen to your teacher, you should try to maintain eye contact, face the speaker, pay close attention to what the speaker is saying and ask questions during a pause in the lecture.A. Participate in class activities.B. Develop interest in the sub
51、ject.C. If so, classrooms can be boring because youre tired.D. Keep silent all the time and try to catch as much information as possible.E. To avoid annoying your teacher you should try to keep your questions on topic.F. Youll be more motivated to stay awake if you know that the teacher can see you
52、easily.G. Practicing active listening can help you keep your eyes open for the length of the lesson.第三部分 语言知识运用（共两节，满分45分）第一节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）阅读下面的短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。I, a postman, married Kathy twenty-eight years ago. Our marriage life was filled with quarre
53、ls, swearing, throwing potsit was too much like 41 . So I had an idea that our time as husband and 42 was about up but I didnt expect it would 43 with a fight.We were 44 at home one evening after tea, one at each end of the table. I was 45 a book, and Kathy just sat there. 46 she said, “I do love yo
54、u, Harry.” I was still in the book and said 47 .Then, “Harry, look at me.” My 48 came up, smiled and went down again to my reading. Maybe I was in the wrong, and should have said something, 49 the book was too good.“Im sure all that readings bad 50 your eyes,” she commented. I went on reading, not l
55、ooking up. She added, “My dad used to say that only fools read books.”The words 51 me and I couldnt resist replying, “He only said that because he didnt know how to read. He was 52 .”Kathy never read books. She hated 53 like poison. She sneered(冷笑), “No need to be jealous of you. Weve got more sense
56、, and too much to do.”Then I was upset, but in a 54 way, “Let me read, anyway, wont you? Its an interesting book, and Im tired.”She 55 out loud, “Tired? You ought to do some real work for a change instead of 56 the streets with that stupid post-bag.” She snatched the book out of my 57 and screamed,
57、“Nothing but books, books, books,” throwing the book into the fire.This really 58 me, so I slapped(掌掴) her across the face, not very hard but I did.One day, a month after 59 the book, I came back from work and found a note waiting for me, “I am going away and not coming back.” We 60 six years after
58、we married.41. A. livingB. fightingC. complainingD. suffering42. A. wifeB. friendC. companionD. partner43. A. beginB. goC. endD. come44. A. sittingB. standingC. playingD. working45. A. writingB. editingC. reviewingD. reading46. A. HumorouslyB. ImmediatelyC. SuddenlyD. Hopelessly47. A. anythingB. not
59、hingC. somethingD. none48. A. faceB. patienceC. angerD. courage49. A. forB. butC. asD. though50. A. inB. toC. forD. at51. A. scaredB. hurtC. movedD. surprised52. A. foolishB. stupidC. mistakenD. jealous53. A. meB. itC. themD. herself54. A. mildB. secretC. normalD. practical55. A. criedB. shoutedC. s
60、pokeD. laughed56. A. cleaningB. walkingC. crossingD. running 57. A. pocketB. roomC. handD. chair58. A. terrifiedB. teasedC. amusedD. annoyed59. A. readingB. snatchingC. throwingD. burning60. A. broke upB. got upC. gave upD. blew up第II卷（非选择题 共50分）注意：将答案写在答题卡上。写在本试卷上无效。第二节（共10小题：每小题15分，满分15分）阅读下面材料，在空
61、白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。On May 18, it was announced that China had achieved success in drilling fire ice, a frozen 61. (mix) of water and natural gas, from the South China Sea. 62. (official) known as methane hydrates(甲烷水合物), fire ice produces a high amount of energy when 63. (burn) and its chemi
62、cal reaction produces nothing but dioxide and water.Fire ice, both clean and energy-intensive, 64. (consider) the fuel of the future. Many countries, including the United States and Japan, have long been conducting research on fire ice, but extracting（提取）it from the bottom of the sea has been a comm
63、on problem 65. (trouble) all of them. But, the Chinese team succeeded in drilling fire ice for nearly eight successive days, 66. is a big breakthrough.However, it is too early 67. (say) a new energy source has been found. The worlds total fire ice reserve is about 21,000 trillion cubic meters, which
64、, if extracted, could meet the worlds energy need 68. 1,000 years. But the successful test drilling of fire ice does not mean it can be extracted for 69. (industry) use. China has to solve many problems before it can use fire ice as a source of energy.Its thought that only by 2025 at 70. earliest mi
65、ght people be able to look at realistic commercial options.第四部分 写作 (本部分共两节，满分35分。）第一节 短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号()，并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用斜线()划掉。修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。 注意：1每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分
66、。I do well in school, so people think I am smart. And its not true. In fact, three year ago I struggled in Grade 9. Later, I decide to get serious about school, so I made a few changes. First, I decided I would become interesting in whatever was being taught, regardless of that what other people tho
67、ught. I also made up my mind to work hardly every day. After carry out these changes, I became active participant in classroom discussions. Then my test scores began to rise. How exciting! It seems to myself that being smart is simply a matter for making efforts and being interested.第二节 书面表达（满分25分）假
68、如你是一名学生会主席， 你校学生会要组织一次户外活动，现在请你根据以下内容以学生会的名义写份书面通知，字数100词左右。主要内容：为了放松自己，走进大自然，我们决定去附近的农场采摘脐橙（navel orange）。欢迎踊跃参加。时间：下周日上午：8：0011：00. 下周五下午5：00前到办公室报名。要求：穿戴合适，如帽子，手套等发布时间：11月8日。注意：1. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总次数。NoticeNovember 8_The Students Union英语答案1-5 CBCAB 6-10 CAACC 11-15 ACCBA 16-20 ABAB
69、C21-23 DCB 24-27 DCBA 28-31 CDBA 32-35 ADBC 36-40 CFAEG41-45 DACAD 46-50 CBABC 51-55 BDCAD 56-60 BCDDA61. mixture/mix 62. Officially 63. burnt/burned 64. is considered 65. troubling66. which 67. to say 68. for 69. industrial 70. theI do well in school, so people think I am smart. And its not true. I
70、n fact, three year ago I But yearsstruggled in Grade 9. Later, I decide to get serious about school, so I made a few changes. decided First, I decided I would become interesting in whatever was being taught, regardless of that interestedwhat other people thought. I also made up my mind to work hardl
71、y every day. After carry out hard carryingthese changes, I became active participant in classroom discussions. Then my test scores anbegan to rise. How exciting! It seems to myself that being smart is simply a matter for making me ofefforts and being interested. 书面表达：NoticeNovember 8In order to rela
72、x ourselves and get close to nature, we have decided to go to the farm nearby to pick navel oranges from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. next Sunday. All the students are welcome to take an active part in the activity.Those who would like to go are requested to sign up your names in the office before 5:00 p
73、.m. next Friday. It is recommended that you prepare suitable clothes and shoes. In addition, please remember to wear a hat and a pair of gloves in case the branches will hurt you.We hope all the participants will have a good time in the activity.The Students UnionText 1M: Mrs. Jones, you are looking
74、 terrific. Do you often work out?W: Yes, I do. I am on diet to keep in shape and I jog every morning and play tennis every Saturday afternoon. (1) Text 2W: Please look at these: the washing machine, the dryer and the rest of the furniture in the living room and bedroom. M: I like your apartment but
75、it still needs some work. Now all you need are some plants and pictures to put up on the wall. (2)Text 3M: I finally finished my essay. Are you done?W: Almost. I have eight pages written. Mrs. Johnson said it has to be ten, right?M: Yes, she did. (3) Youre almost there! Let me know if I can help. Te
76、xt 4W: I dont see any parking spots. Should I turn back here?M: This is a one-way street, so youll have to turn left instead. (4) We can drive around and keep looking. We might have to park a couple of blocks away.Text 5W: Id like to put $10 of gas in my car. (5) Id also like to buy this soda and ca
77、ndy bar, please.M: No problem, maam. Is there anything else I can get you? W: No, thats it. Have a wonderful day!Text 6W: Good morning, this is Air China. What can I do for you?M: Yes, Id like to make a reservation for a flight to New York on Monday. (7)W: We have Flight F8008 on Monday. Just a mome
78、nt, please. Let me check whether there are seats availableIm sorry, but Flight F8008 is all booked up. (6)M: Is there another choice?W: The next available flight leaves at 9:00 a.m. this Tuesday. Shall I book you a seat on that flight?M: Uh.is it a direct flight?W: No, but there is a direct flight o
79、n Wednesday. Do you want to book a first class ticket or an economy class ticket? (7)M: Id prefer a first class ticket. (7) Whats the fare?W: One-way is $856.M: OK, Ill take one.W: Here is your change.Text 7 (第8题为推断题)W: My husband is trying to get me into the game of golf, but Im not sure if I want
80、to take up something new at my age.M: Its a great way to get out into the sun and get some exercise.W: I do like the idea of having a hobby that we both share and having some wonderful time together. (9) Im just a little worried about how expensive it will be, though. M: In fact, there are many publ
81、ic courses nowadays that are very cheap. There are also a lot of smaller courses that are more suitable for beginners.W: Good. Ive signed up for lessons, so well see how that goes first.Text 8M: Whats with all the little red things all over your arms, Lauren? (10) It looks like you have some sort of
82、 disease.W: Oh, I know! Theyre so disgusting. I hate them! And theyre not just there, theyre everywhere! Look at my legs. They are also there. I must be allergic to something.M: At least you dont have them on your face.W: So, what do you think I should do? I went to the drugstore, and they gave me s
83、ome medicine, but it doesnt seem to be working.M: You are allergic to something? I have known you for years, and you never said anything to me about that.W: Well, but what else could it be? I mean, I havent eaten anything different lately.M: Maybe it was something you touched. (11) What did you do t
84、his weekend?W: I went for a hike up on Snake Mountain. (11)M: Snake Mountain? No wonder! That place has poisonous plants growing everywhere! (11)W: Oh, my God. I never thought of that. Maybe I should go to see a doctor right now. (12)Text 9M: Hi, there. I was wondering if you had any openings in the
85、 next half hour or so. Id like to get my hair cut. (13)W: Certainly. Let me seeyou know what? One of our customers just canceled, so we can fit you in right now, if youd like.M: Great. All the other hair stylists in this mall are booked up until four, and I dont have that much time.W: Now, what can
86、I do for you? A little off the top?M: Yeah. Maybe just take off half of an inch. Nothing too crazy.W: OK. Would you like me to wash your hair first, or would you prefer one of the nail specials, perhaps?M: No, just the basics, please. (13) Its three now, and I need to be out of here in half an hour.
87、 (14)W: So, are you from around here? (15)M: I am, actually, although I dont live here anymore. (15) Im just visiting my folks for a couple of weeks, and then I will head back to New York. (15)W: Oh, really? What do you do there? (16)M: I work for The New York Times. (16)W: Cool. You must be writing
88、 a lot about the new government, I bet.M: Well, Im heading to Washington D.C. to do a story on exactly that.W: Well, next time youre in Los Angeles, come back for a visit.M: I will do.Text 10When you send a letter or a postcard, you have to put stamps on the envelope or on the card. When did people
89、first begin to use stamps? Who was the first to think of this idea? In the early 19th 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 ra
90、te was high at that time, because the post offices had to send many people to collect the postage. (17) Rowland Hill, a schoolmaster in England, thought it would be much easier for people to use stamps. (18) They could go to the nearby post office to buy stamps and put them on envelopes before they
91、sent the letters. The post office could simply put seals on the stamps so that people could not use the stamps again. (19) 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. This was a good idea and the government finally accepted it. On May 6th, 1840, the post offices throughout England began to sell stamps “One Penny” black stamps and “Two Pence” blue stamps. (20)第 - 14 - 页
