Some simple things have a long history.
某些很簡單的東西卻有很悠久的歷史。

　　Postal systems worldwide took a long time to become as efficient as they are today. In the 1830s, the British postal system was badly mismanaged, too expensive for _(1)_ people, and wasteful. As a matter of fact, when people received a letter, they had to pay for it instead of the sender. Widespread fraudhappened _(2)_ because recipients were allowed to look at their letters andreject them to avoid payment. This meant that many messages were just printed on the envelopes. In the late 1830s, Rowland Hill wrote a pamphlet on postalreform and suggested penny postage, letter boxes on the side of roads, and other _(3)_.
　　Even though letter boxes were already _(4)_ use in France, Belgium, and Germany in the 1840s, the first ones in England didn't appear until 1853. Also called post boxes or pillar boxes, they were _(5)_ as ugly by the general publicas soon as they were put on the streets. The government then funded more ornately designed boxes. In 1859, two sizes of boxes became standardized_(6)_ for bigger cities and the other for smaller. The most famous letter box shape was named _(7)_ the architect who designed it, John Penfold. These octagon-shaped Penfolds had crowns on the tops and were _(8)_ in many countries all over the world, such as India, Australia, and New Zealand. New letter box designs were _(9)_ for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. Later, some letter boxeswere even attached to lampposts, and in 1932, stamp machines were added to them. Most recently, letter boxes were painted gold in the hometowns of the British Olympians that came away from the 2012 Summer Games _(10)_ a gold medal.

(A) one　(B) frequently　(C) with　(D) regular　(E) improvements
(F) after　(G) in　(H) unveiled　(I) criticized　(J) copied
 
  1. In the 1830s, the British postal system was badly mismanaged, too expensive for regular people, and wasteful.
    理由:
    a. 空格前有介詞 for（對於……），而空格後有名詞 people（人），得知空格應置形容詞以修飾people。
    b. 選項中為形容詞的有 (A) one（一個的）及 (D) regular（一般的），惟 one people 指『某個民族』，此處不合語意，故 (D) 項應為正選。
    c. regular a. 普通的，一般的
    What is the difference between regular unleaded gas and premium unleaded gas?
    普通無鉛汽油和高級無鉛汽油有何不同？
    ＊unleaded a. 無鉛的
    premium a. 高級的，優質的
  2. Widespread fraud happened frequently because recipients were allowed to look at their letters and reject them to avoid payment.
    理由:
    a. 空格前有不及物動詞 happened（發生），得知空格應置副詞加以修飾。
    b. 選項中為副詞的有 (B) frequently（頻繁地）及(F) after（之後），惟根據語意，(B)項應為正選。
    c. frequently adv. 頻繁地
    If you frequently bounce from job to job, your resume will look bad.
    如果你經常換工作，你的履歷會很不好看。
  3. In the late 1830s, Rowland Hill wrote a pamphlet on postal reform and suggested penny postage, letter boxes on the side of roads, and otherimprovements.
    理由:
    a. 空格前有形容詞 other（其他的），得知空格應置名詞或代名詞，並作及物動詞 suggested（建議）的受詞。
    b. 選項中為名詞的有 (A) one（一個）及(E) improvement（改善之處），惟根據語意，(E)項應為正選。
    c. improvement n. 改善之處
    When Kent suggested improvements to the paintings, the artist started getting upset.
    當肯特建議這些畫作可如何改進，這名藝術家便開始發脾氣。
  4. Even though letter boxes were already in use in France, Belgium, and Germany in the 1840s, the first ones in England didn't appear until 1853.
    理由:
    a. 本題測試下列固定用法：
    be in use　　在使用中
    That machine has been in use for about 20 years.
    那臺機器已使用大約二十年了。
    b. 根據上述，(G) 項應為正選。
  5. Also called post boxes or pillar boxes, they were criticized as ugly by the general public as soon as they were put on the streets. 
    理由:
    a. 本題測試下列固定用法：
    be criticized as...　　被批評為……
    The proposal was criticized as being too expensive.
    這項計劃被批評為耗資過大。
    b. 根據上述，(I) 項應為正選。
  6. In 1859, two sizes of boxes became standardized — one for bigger cities and the other for smaller.
    理由:
    a. 本題測試下列固定用法：
    one...the other... 
    （兩者之中）一個……另一個……
    Murphy has two brothers with remarkable achievements — one is a psychologist and the other is an archeologist.
    摩菲有兩個成就非凡的兄弟，一位是心理學家，而另一位是考古學家。
    ＊archeologist n. 考古學家
    b. 根據上述，(A) 項應為正選。
  7. The most famous letter box shape was named after the architect who designed it, John Penfold.
    理由:
    a. 本題測試下列固定用法：
    be named after...　　以……的名字命名
    Aaron was named after his grandfather.
    艾倫的名字是以他爺爺的名字來命名的。
    b. 根據上述，(F) 項應為正選。
  8. These octagon-shaped Penfolds had crowns on the tops and were copiedin many countries all over the world, such as India, Australia, and New Zealand.
    理由:
    a. 空格前有 be 動詞 were，得知空格應置形容詞或分詞。
    b. 選項中符合上述的有 (H) unveiled（揭幕）及 (J) copied（仿造），惟根據語意，(J) 項應為正選。
    c. copy vt. 仿製；仿造
    The company was accused of copying another manufacturer's product.
    該公司被指控仿造另一家廠商的產品。
  9. New letter box designs were unveiled for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.
    理由:
    a. 空格前有 be 動詞 were，得知空格應置形容詞或分詞。
    b. 選項中符合上述的僅剩 (H) unveiled（揭幕），置入後亦符合語意，故為正選。
    c. unveil vt. 揭幕，揭開……的面紗
    Michael Jordan unveiled a magnificent statue of himself.
    邁可‧喬登為他自己宏偉的雕像揭幕。
  10. Most recently, letter boxes were painted gold in the hometowns of the British Olympians that came away from the 2012 Summer Games with a gold medal.
    理由:
    a. 本題測試下列固定用法：
    come away with...　　贏得……
    Deciding on which team will come away with the championship is not an easy task.
    決定哪一支隊伍將贏得冠軍並不是一件輕鬆的工作。
    b. 根據上述，(C) 項應為正選。
  1. postal a. 郵政的
  2. mismanage vt. 對……管理不善
  3. As a matter of fact,...　　事實上，……
    = In fact,...
    = In reality,...
  4. fraud n. 詐欺行為
  5. pamphlet n. 小冊子
  6. penny n. 便士（英國貨幣名稱）
  7. postage n. 郵資
  8. pillar n. 柱子
  9. the general public　　一般大眾
  10. ornately adv. 裝飾華麗地
  11. octagon n. 八角形；八邊形
  12. Golden Jubilee　　（君主登基等重要事件的）五十週年紀念
  13. lamppost n. 街燈柱
  14. Olympian n. 奧林匹克運動會選手
  1. wasteful a. 浪費的
    There was a lot of wasteful packaging used on the toys.
    這些玩具上面有許多浪費的包裝。
  2. recipient n. 接受者
    Marie Curie was the first female recipient of the Nobel Prize.
    居禮夫人是第一位獲得諾貝爾獎的女性。
  3. be allowed to V　　被允許……
    No one was allowed to enter the palace to meet the queen.
    沒有人可以進入皇宮晉見女王。
  4. reject vt. 拒絕
    = turn down...
    Luke rejected the job offer, citing the low salary as the reason.
    路克以薪資低為由拒絕了那份工作。
  5. reform n. & vt. 改革
    I was disappointed when I learned that the general manager disliked my reforms.
    我獲知總經理不喜歡我提出的改革時感到很失望。
    The new minister has promised to reform the education system.
    新任部長承諾會改革教育制度。
  6. fund vt. 資助
    The Bill Gates Foundation has funded many charities.
    比爾．蓋茲基金會已資助了許多慈善機構。
  7. standardize vt. 使標準化
    The schools will standardize their exams this year.
    各學校將從今年開始將考試標準化。
  8. be attached to N/V-ing　　附著於……
    There is a trailer attached to this truck.
    這輛卡車後面連著一輛拖車。
  9. be added to...　　加到……
    An extra 10 percent was added to the bill as a service charge.
    帳單上已額外加上一成做為服務費了。

 

英國郵筒的歷史
某些很簡單的東西卻有很悠久的歷史。
　　全球郵政系統花了很長時間才變得和今天一樣有效率。1830 年代，英國郵政系統嚴重管理不當，對一般人來說太貴又很浪費。事實上，當人們收到了一封信，他們得付郵資，而非由寄件人付錢。詐欺事件屢見不鮮，因為收件人可以查看他們的信件，並將其退回以避免付款。這意味著許多訊息就只要印在信封上即可。1830 年代後期，羅蘭．希爾針對郵政改革寫了一本小冊子，並建議使用便士郵資（編按：源自『黑便士』，它是世界上第一張郵票，作為『郵資已付』的依據。）、設立路旁的郵筒等其他改善措施。
　　雖然郵筒已在 1840 年代於法國、比利時和德國等地使用，但英國的第一批郵筒直到 1853 年才出現。這些郵筒也稱作 post boxes 或 pillar boxes，他們當時一被設置在街道上就被大眾批評醜到不行。於是政府便為了能有更華麗設計的郵筒而提供資金。1859 年，兩種不同尺寸的郵筒成了標準規格 ?? 一種用於較大的城市，而另一種則用於較小的城市。而最有名的郵筒外形是以設計該郵筒的建築師約翰．奔富而命名。這些八角形的奔富郵筒頂端有皇冠，且在世界各地許多國家都有仿造它的郵筒，如印度、澳洲和紐西蘭等。新式的郵筒設計在 1887 年亮相，作為維多利亞女王的登基五十週年紀念。隨後，有些郵筒甚至還依附在路燈旁，而到了 1932 年，郵筒還添加了郵票販賣機。近期，郵筒被塗成金色，出現在 2012 年夏季奧運會奪得金牌的英國奧運選手們的家鄉中。
答案：1. D　2. B　3. E　4. G　5. I　6. A　7. F　8. J　9. H　10.C

資料來源：常春藤電子報

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