Have there has been a need to keep in touch, to 3

The Post
How did the postal service begin? For as long as 1______ have 2______ there has been a need to keep in touch, to 3______ information between people in different places. This could have been news about important events, 4______ information, or families staying in contact. Before the 5______ of writing, spoken - oral messages were carried from one person to another or between towns. Writing made it much easier to send longer 6______; however, it was still difficult to make sure that your message got to the right place.
Who organised the first delivery system? The Romans 7______ an organised system of mail 8______, called Cursus Publicus. This was used by the 9______ and officials to transfer information 10______ the Empire. Staging posts and a 11______ system with horses and 12______ meant that messages could move quickly, by using many riders instead of one. It was very important for 13______ and 14______, business, and military reasons that good communication systems existed. However, the Romans were not (as many people think) the first to realise this. In 15______ BC the Egyptians used a similar messenger system to keep people informed about the laws in the country. The Chinese and Persian empires also used systems of horses and riders more than 16______ years before the Romans.
What came after the Romans? 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. It was also very important for business between countries that good communication existed; international 17______ and many capital cities set up 18______ postal links. There was one such link between Venice and Constantinople in the 19______ Century.
Who could use the post? Until the mid-20______ in Europe only official Government messages could be carried by the state networks; everyone else had to use less 21______, unofficial networks. However, as more roads were built, unofficial networks became safer, more 22______ and very 23______. Realising they could make money, governments in most countries took control of their own public postal system - making the unofficial networks 24______!
How was it paid for? 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. This could have been either written or 25______. A post-mark was also stamped on the letter. Invented in 26______ in England, this was a mark that showed where and when the letter had been posted. It was used to see how long it took to deliver the letter - to make sure the service was reliable.
When were stamps invented? A number of countries claim to have invented the idea of stamps - placing a piece of paper on the letter showing that delivery had been paid for. But the first widely available stamp was the Penny Blank, introduced in 27______ by a man called Rowland Hill in 28______. It was a black stamp with a white picture of the Queen’s 29______ on it. Hill changed the idea of payment from distance to 30______, which meant you paid for how heavy your letter was, not how far it travelled. The year before its introduction about 31______ letters had been posted in Britain, yet only 32______ years later over 33______ million letters were sent using stamps. It was a very important invention and completely changed the postal system. To buy a first-edition of this stamp today can cost over £34______!
Who decides international prices? Until the 35______ it was still very expensive to send mail to other countries. The Universal Postal Union was created in 36______ to help countries work together and set 37______ prices for international mail 38______. It cannot tell individual countries how much to 39______, but it encourages co-operation. Its main aim is to make sure that "all people have 40______ and reliable access to postal services."
What is snail mail? 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. Many people now call traditional post “snail mail”, because it does not have the 41______ of an email or a text message. Remember though, it has been here for over 42______ years, and is still a way of delivering a personal message. Why don't you write a letter to someone today?
True/ False

1. 
   In some languages phrases for greeting contain the word peace.
   
2. 
   Shaking hands is one of the gestures of greeting which shows a person is not carrying a weapon.
   
3. 
   In ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword meant the beginning of war.
   
4. 
   There was tradition in Japan if a dove flew around the house where someone was dying, their soul would be at peace.
   
5. 
   There are legends which say devil can turn himself into dove easily.
   
6. 
   In Chinese tradition rainbow is a common symbol for marriage.
   
7. 
   Mistletoe is widely used as a sacred symbol in Christianity.
   
8. 
   In ancient Greece winners of Olympic Games were given crowns made of olive branches.
   
9. 
   Ankh is a modern symbol which was adopted by Hippies to represent peace and love.
   
10. 
    People believed that ankh could control the flow of the river Nile.