Post office.

From the dawn of history people have needed reliable methods of sending
private messages from one person to another. This could have been news about
important events, military information, or families staying in contact. Before the
invention of writing, spoken-oral messages were carried from one person to another
or between towns. Writing made it much easier to send longer messages; however, it
was still difficult to make sure that your message got to the right place.
The Romans created the first organized system of mail delivery, called Cursus
Publicus. This was used by the Emperor and officials to transfer information
throughout the Empire. Staging posts and a relay system with horses and carriages
meant that messages could move quickly, by using many riders instead of one.
After the Roman postal service disappeared, other systems were created, but
never again as large as the Roman’s. Rulers of countries or regions (such as
Charlemagne) and even the church created their own official mail network.
Before the invention of the postage stamp, letters were 'franked.' This meant
that it was marked on the letter that delivery had been paid for. A post-mark was
invented in 1660 in England, this was a mark that showed where and when the letter
had been posted. A number of countries claim to have invented the idea of stamps.
But the first widely available stamp was the Penny Blank, introduced in Britain by a
man called Rowland Hill in 1840
With the creation of airmail, it's now cheap and quick to send letters to most
parts of the world. Unfortunately, the growth of new technology (The Internet,
emails, fax machines) means that traditional postal services are becoming less
popular. Still, there are post-offices in every town and nearly every village or a
settlement. As a rule at the Post-office there are many counters: Parcel Post, General
Delivery, Money Orders, Registered Letters, Parcel Post. There are hundreds of
thousands officials: postmasters who are in charge of post-offices, post-office clerks
and a lot of postmen and officials. It is the postman who brings many items of news
to everybody, going round from house to house, and dropping the letters into our
letter-box. At the Post -office one can send different kinds if letters: ordinary,
registered, valuable or post restante, get your money order or send a wire. Here you
can also buy envelopes, stamps and postcards. Nevertheless, more and more people
prefer modern means of communication to post office services.
1. Match the words and word combinations with their translation
first organised system Надійні методи
get your money order повітряна почта
send a wire. листівка
airmail придумати ідею про
reliable methods перша організована система
drop the letters into a letter-box. сучасні засоби комунікації
Postcards надіслати телеграму
invent the idea of військова інформація
modern means of communication вкинути листи в поштову скриньку
military information, отримати грошовий переказ

2. Insert the missing words or word combinations

The Romans created the ………………... of mail delivery, called Cursus
Publicus.
A number of countries ………………………………. stamps.
With the creation of ………..., it's now cheap and quick to send letters to most
parts of the world.
It is the …….. who brings many items of news to everybody, going round from
house to house, and ….
Nevertheless, more and more people prefer …………………………………..
to post office services.
Still, there are …………….in every town and nearly every village or a
settlement.
Writing made it much easier …………………...; however, it was still difficult
to make sure that your ………………………..
Before the invention of writing, …………………………….. from one person
to another or between towns.

3.Translate the following

1. Перша організована система пошти була створена у Римській імперії
2. Раніше була проблема з передачею послань, потрібні були надійні методи
спілкування.
3. Я бачила як поштар кинув вам листа у поштовий ящик.
4. Хто стверджує, що це він винайшов інтернет?
5. Я не знаю життя без сучасних засобів комунікації.
6. Мені потрібно відправити заказного листа. Це відділ “Грошові
перекази”.Вам потрібно у сусіднє віконечко. Це відділ відправки посилок.