Have you ever posted letters to your friends or parents? If so, you must have put stamps on the letters before you sent them. But, how did people receive letters before stamps were invented, and who came up with the idea of using stamps?

   In the past, stamps and envelopes were not used. When people wanted to send a letter, they would close the paper with a seal（封印）. The person who got the letter had to pay for it. Because costs at that time were very high, most people refused to accept letters. In fact, the sender would often place secret marks on the outside of the letter. The person who was sent the letter would read the secret message. Then, they would refuse to accept the letter and did not have to pay for it.

    In Britain, Sir Rowland Hill introduced the “Post Office Reforms” in 1837. He decided that letters could go to any place in the country for a penny even if the letter had to go far away. The cost was to be paid by the sender of the letter. Payment was recorded by placing a small piece of coloured paper on the letter, the stamp! On May 6,1840, the first stamp called the “Penny Black” was born. Because the stamp was printed in black, the stamp became known as the “Penny Black”. This is now the world’s most famous stamp. This new system spread fast.

The best title for this passage should be______

A. The First Stamp.                  B. How Stamp Was First Made

C. Why the First Stamp Was Made      D. When Was Stamp First Made

Before stamps were used,______ would pay for the letter.

A. the sender        B. the receiver     C. the government    D. no one

The first stamp was made______.

A. more than 160 years ago        B. more than two centuries ago

C. less than 100 years ago         D. about 100 years ago

Which of the following is true about the first stamp of China?

A. It was made much earlier than the first stamp of the US

B. The stamp had a snake on it

C. The stamp couldn’t be found now

D. The stamp had a picture of a dragon on it

The invention of the electric telegraph gave birth to the communications industry.Although Samuel B．Morse succeeded in making the invention useful in 1837，it was not until 1843 that the first important telegraph line was constructed.By 1860 more than 50,000 miles of lines connected people east of the Rockies.The following year，San Francisco was added to the network.

The national telegraph network strengthened the ties between East and West and contributed to the rapid expansion of the railroads by providing an efficient means to monitor schedules and routes.Furthermore，the extension of the telegraph，combined with the invention of the steam－driven rotary printing press by Richard

M．Hoe in 1846，revolutionized the world of journalism.Where the business of news gathering had been dependent upon the mail and on hand－operated presses，the telegraph expanded the amount of information a newspaper could supply and allowed for more timely reporting.The creating of the Associated Press as a central wire service in 1846 marked the arrival of a new era (纪元) in journalism.

1.The main topic of the passage is ________.

A．the history of journalism

B．the origin of the national telegraph

C．how the telegraph network contributed to the expansion of railroads

D．the contributions and development of the telegraph network

2.This passage would most likely be found in a________.

A．U.S. history book                        B．book on trains

C．science textbook                        D．computer magazine

3.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．Samuel Morse did not make a significant contribution to the communications industry

B．Morse’s invention did not immediately achieve its full potential (潜力)

C．the extension of the telegraph was more important than its invention

D．journalists have the Associated Press to thank for the birth of the communications industry

 

1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business .But he was not a good artist.So he invented a very simple camera (照相机).He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden .That was the first photo.

The next important date in the history of photography was 1837. That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his studio. He used a new kind of camera and a different processs. In his pictures, you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest details. This kind of photograph was called a daguerreotype.

Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's process. Travellers brought back daguerreotypes from all around the world. People photographed famous buildings, cities and mountains.

In about 1840, the process was improved. Now photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. The process was not simple. The photographers had to carry lots of film and processing equipment. But this did not stop the photographers, especially in the United States, where from the 1840s daguerreotype artists were popular in most cities.

Mathew Brady was a well-known American photographer. He took many pictures of famous people. The pictures were unusual because they were very life-like and full of personality.

Brady was also the first person to take pictures of war. His 1862 Civil War pictures showed dead soldiers and ruined cities. They made the war seem more real and more terrible

In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography. Photographers could buy film readymade in rolls. So they did not have to make the film immediately. They could bring it back to their studios and develop it later, meaning that they did not have to carry lots of equipment. And finally, the invention of the small handheld camera made photography less expensive.

With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer. People began to use cameras just for fun. They took pictures of their families, friends and favourite places. They called these pictures "snapshots".

Photographs became very popular in newspapers in the 1890s. Soon magazines and books also used documentary photographs. These pictures showed true events and people. They were much more real than drawings.

Photography had turned into a form of art by the beginning of the 20th century. Some photographs were not just copies of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.

1.The passage is mainly about______________.

A．the invention of cameras

B．a kind of new art -- photography

C．the development of photography

D．the different uses of cameras in history

2. The first pictures of a war were taken by ____________.

A．a French photographer in the 1840s

B．an American photographer in the 1860s

C．a German reporter in the 1880s

D．a French artist in the 1890s

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the photography in the 19th century?

A．It was mainly based on the invention of the first photograph.

B．Photographers were popular in the United States because they carried lots of equipment.

C．Photographers used to make film themselves and developed it immediately after taking a photo.

D．Small handheld cameras made it possible for anyone to become a gifted photographer.

4.In which order are the following statements mentioned in the passage?

a. Photographs became popular in newspapers.

b. Photographers carried processing equipment when taking pictures.

c. The invention of small handheld cameras made photography easier.

d. Daguerre invented a kind of photograph called daguerreotype.

e. Brady took pictures of famous people.

A．e,a, d, b, c                             B．d, b, e, c, a

C．b, e, c, a, d                             D．d, c, e, a , b

5. Photography can also be an art form because artists can ____________.

A．take anything they like

B．keep a record of real life

C．take photos of the famous

D．show ideas and feelings in pictures

 

Have you ever posted letters to your friends or parents? If so, you must have put stamps on the letters before you sent them. But, how did people receive letters before stamps were invented, and who came up with the idea of using stamps?

In the past, stamps and envelopes were not used. When people wanted to send a letter, they would close the paper with a seal（封印）. The person who got the letter had to pay for it. Because costs at that time were very high, most people refused to accept letters. In fact, the sender would often place secret marks on the outside of the letter. The person who was sent the letter would read the secret message. Then, they would refuse to accept the letter and did not have to pay for it.

In Britain, Sir Rowland Hill introduced the “Post Office Reforms” in 1837. He decided that letters could go to any place in the country for a penny even if the letter had to go far away. The cost was to be paid by the sender of the letter. Payment was recorded by placing a small piece of coloured paper on the letter, the stamp! On May 6,1840, the first stamp called the “Penny Black” was born. Because the stamp was printed in black, the stamp became known as the “Penny Black”. This is now the world’s most famous stamp. This new system spread fast.

1.The best title for this passage should be______

A．The First Stamp.	B．How Stamp Was First Made
C．Why the First Stamp Was Made	D．When Was Stamp First Made

2.Before stamps were used,______ would pay for the letter.

A．the sender

B．the receiver

C．the government

D．no one

3.The first stamp was made______.

A．more than 160 years ago	B．more than two centuries ago
C．less than 100 years ago	D．about 100 years ago

4.Which of the following is true about the first stamp of China?

A．It was made much earlier than the first stamp of the US

B．The stamp had a snake on it

C．The stamp couldn’t be found now

D．The stamp had a picture of a dragon on it

 

1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business .But he was not a good artist.So he invented a very simple camera (照相机).He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden .That was the first photo.
The next important date in the history of photography was 1837. That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his studio. He used a new kind of camera and a different processs. In his pictures, you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest details. This kind of photograph was called a daguerreotype.
Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's process. Travellers brought back daguerreotypes from all around the world. People photographed famous buildings, cities and mountains.
In about 1840, the process was improved. Now photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. The process was not simple. The photographers had to carry lots of film and processing equipment. But this did not stop the photographers, especially in the United States, where from the 1840s daguerreotype artists were popular in most cities.
Mathew Brady was a well-known American photographer. He took many pictures of famous people. The pictures were unusual because they were very life-like and full of personality.
Brady was also the first person to take pictures of war. His 1862 Civil War pictures showed dead soldiers and ruined cities. They made the war seem more real and more terrible.
In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography. Photographers could buy film readymade in rolls. So they did not have to make the film immediately. They could bring it back to their studios and develop it later, meaning that they did not have to carry lots of equipment. And finally, the invention of the small handheld camera made photography less expensive.
With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer. People began to use cameras just for fun. They took pictures of their families, friends and favourite places. They called these pictures "snapshots".
Photographs became very popular in newspapers in the 1890s. Soon magazines and books also used documentary photographs. These pictures showed true events and people. They were much more real than drawings.
Photography had turned into a form of art by the beginning of the 20^th century. Some photographs were not just copies of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.
【小题1】The passage is mainly about______________.

A．the invention of cameras

B．a kind of new art -- photography

C．the development of photography

D．the different uses of cameras in history

【小题2】The first pictures of a war were taken by ____________.

A．a French photographer in the 1840s

B．an American photographer in the 1860s

C．a German reporter in the 1880s

D．a French artist in the 1890s

【小题3】Which of the following statements is TRUE about the photography in the 19^th century?

A．It was mainly based on the invention of the first photograph.

B．Photographers were popular in the United States because they carried lots of equipment.

C．Photographers used to make film themselves and developed it immediately after taking a photo.

D．Small handheld cameras made it possible for anyone to become a gifted photographer.

【小题4】In which order are the following statements mentioned in the passage?
a. Photographs became popular in newspapers.
b. Photographers carried processing equipment when taking pictures.
c. The invention of small handheld cameras made photography easier.
d. Daguerre invented a kind of photograph called daguerreotype.
e. Brady took pictures of famous people.

A．e,a, d, b, c	B．d, b, e, c, a
C．b, e, c, a, d	D．d, c, e, a , b

【小题5】Photography can also be an art form because artists can ____________.

A．take anything they like

B．keep a record of real life

C．take photos of the famous

D．show ideas and feelings in pictures