READING PASSAGE 4

In the early days of the United States, postal charges were paid by the recipient and charges varied with the distance carried. In 1825, the United States Congress permitted local postmasters to give letters to mail carriers for home delivery, but these carriers received no government salary and their entire compensation on what they were paid by the recipients of individual letters.

In 1847 the United States Post Office Department adopted the idea of a postage stamp, which of course simplified the payment for postal service but caused grumbling by those who did not like to prepay. Besides, the stamp covered only delivery to the post office and did not include carrying it to a private address. In Philadelphia, for example, with a population of 150,000, people still had to go to the post office to get their mail. The confusion and congestion of individual citizens looking for their letters was itself enough to discourage use of the mail. It is no wonder that, during the years of these cumbersome arrangements, private letter-carrying and express businesses developed. Although their activities were only semilegal, they thrived, and actually advertised that between Boston and Philadelphia they were a half-day speedier than the government mail. The government postal service lost volume to private competition and was not able to handle efficiently even the business it had.

Finally, in 1863, Congress provided that the mail carriers who delivered the mail from the post offices to private addresses should receive a government salary, and that there should be no extra charge for that delivery. But this delivery service was at first confined to cities, and free home delivery became a mark of urbanism. As late as 1887, a town had to have 10,000 people to be eligible for free home delivery. In 1890, of the 75 million people in the United States. Fewer than 20 million had mail delivered free to their doors. The rest, nearly three-quarters of the population, still received no mail unless they went to their post office.

What does the passage mainly discuss?

• A. The increased use of private mail services.
• B. The development of a government postal system.
• C. A comparison of urban and rural postal services.
• D. The history of postage stamps.

• Câu 2: Mã câu hỏi: 29393

  The word "varied" could best be replaced by _________

  • A. increased.
  • B. differed.
  • C. returned.
  • D. started.

• Câu 3: Mã câu hỏi: 29394

  Which of the following was seen as a disadvantage of the postage stamp?

  • A. It had to be purchased by the sender in advance.
  • B. It increased the cost of mail delivery.
  • C. It was difficult to affix to letters.
  • D. It was easy to counterfeit.

• Câu 4: Mã câu hỏi: 29395

  The word "cumbersome" is closest in meaning to ________

  • A. burdensome.
  • B. handsome.
  • C. loathsome.
  • D. quarrelsome.

• Câu 5: Mã câu hỏi: 29396

  The word "they" refers to _________

  • A. Boston and Philadelphia
  • B. businesses
  • C. arrangements
  • D. letters

• Câu 6: Mã câu hỏi: 29397

  The private postal services of the nineteenth century claimed that they could do which of the following better than the government?

  • A. Deliver a higher volume of mail.
  • B. Deliver mail more cheaply.
  • C. Deliver mail faster.
  • D. Deliver mail to rural areas.

• Câu 7: Mã câu hỏi: 29398

  In 1863 the United States government began providing which of the following to mail carriers?

  • A. A salary
  • B. Housing
  • C. Transportation
  • D. Free postage stamps

• Câu 8: Mã câu hỏi: 29399

  The word "confined" is closest in meaning to

  • A. granted
  • B. scheduled
  • C. limited
  • D. recommended

• Câu 9: Mã câu hỏi: 29430

  The word "eligible" could best be replaced by __________.

  • A. intangible
  • B. edible
  • C. preferable
  • D. acceptable

• Câu 10: Mã câu hỏi: 29431

  Which of the following statement is true?

  • A. In the past, all people liked to use postage stamps.
  • B. Almost all people in Philadelphia were happy with the mail service.
  • C. At first, free home delivery was only accessible to people in the city.
  • D. In 1890, 75 per cent of the US population had mail delivered free to their home.