Postal Service in the USA

TEXT SUMMARY The origins of postal service go back to at least 2000 BC. In about 430 BC Herodotus wrote about the

determination of the Persian mounted messengers. Most postal services are government agencies with monopolies, and enable letters or packages to be sent all over the world. In the beginning of the postal service in the USA, only letters, newspapers, and small packages were considered mail, today there are four classes of mail. First class is the most expensive and fourth class has the lowest rates. Since 1863 rates for lighter first class items depend only on their weight. Other mail is still charged by weight and distance. The service is mostly paid in advance by the sender.

First class mail includes letters and postcards. Postcards appeared in 1869 in Austria and were very popular. Congress gave the post office a monopoly for the first class mail. Express mail, introduced in 1977, enables next-day delivery for heavier pieces of first-class mail. Second and third class mail appeared in 1863 though newspapers and periodicals were charged less even before that. A bulk rate of postage is available since 1928 for separately addressed identical pieces of third class mail. Fourth class mail weight limits have been raised substantially since it first appeared in 1879 partly due to competition from private express companies.

Special services offered by the post offices include registered mail (valuable mail that is insured and carefully controlled), certified mail (a receipt is provided to the sender proving that the mail was delivered), return receipts (showing to whom and when the mail was delivered), COD (collect on delivery, the person who receives the mail pays for it), insured mail (providing coverage against loss or damage), special delivery (rapid delivery, though not as fast as express mail, but also not as expensive), special handling (a quicker deliver of third- and fourth-class mail), and money orders that can be cashed at the post office (for safe delivery of money). In some nations welfare benefits are paid through post offices, and some types of taxes are collected. Antimalaria drugs are distributed through African post offices, while British post offices provide some banking services. TEXT EXERCISES 1) Fill in the gaps with the information from the text .

In about 430 BC Herodotus described perseverance of the Persian messengers noting that

Postal service enables _________________ and _________________ to be sent all over the world on a _________________ basis with speed and _________________. Most postal services are _________________ agencies, and are often _________________. The service is mostly paid _________________ by _________________. In the earliest days of postal service in the USA, only _________________, _________________ and _________________ were considered mail. Postacrds and letters are considered _________________. The price of delivery is calculated by ______________ and _________________. The aditional services offered by post offices vary _________________.

2) The list shows all the important dates in the history of the postal services, write down the

events that the dates refer to. a) 2000 BC

b) 430 BC

c) 1799

d) 1845

e) 1851

f) 1861

g) 1863

h) 1869

i) 1879

j) 1898

k) 1912

l) 1918

m) 1928

n) 1977

VOCABULARY EXERCISES

1) Use the following words in sentences of your ow n. The sentences should provide context which clearly illustrate the meaning of the word . a) assure

b) postage

c) rate

d) handling

e) compete

f) parcel

g) coverage

h) messenger

2) Match words on the right to their descriptions on the left

a) special handling a receipt is provided to the sender proving that the mail was delivered

b) insured mail rapid delivery, though not as fast as express mail, but also not as expensive

c) certified mail a quicker deliver of third- and fourth-class mail

d) COD valuable mail that is insured and carefully controlled

e) registered mail for safe delivery of money

f) special delivery providing coverage against loss or damage

g) return receipts showing to whom and when the mail was delivered

h) money orders collect on delivery, the person who receives the mail pays for it

3) Provide the antonyms (words of opposite meaning) for the following words.

swift persevere scheduled

deliver in advance diverse

domestic feasible required

charge bulk flat rate

special receive destination

GRAMMAR ABSTRACT NOUNS

HAPPINESS Happiness is orange

It smells like a field of flowers It tastes like chocolate ice-cream

It sounds like the school bell at the end of the day It feels like the fur of my pet cat

It lives at my house most of the time An abstract noun is a type of noun that refers to something a person cannot physically interact with. A

noun is a person, place or thing. However, in many cases, the 'thing' might be an intangible concept which means it is an abstract form of noun. In this instance, abstract means to exist apart from concrete existence. A noun that is abstract is an aspect, concept, idea, experience, state of being, trait, quality, feeling, or other entity that cannot be experienced with the five senses.

Concrete nouns are people, places, or things that we d experience do with our five senses. The abstract class is the opposite - we can never experience these nouns according to our senses. If a noun describes something you can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell, it is not abstract. Sometimes it can be difficult to recognize when the noun is abstract because there are a number of words that can function in different ways. For example, some words might function as verbs in some cases and abstract nouns in other cases. Check to see whether the word in question is expressing action in some way or if it is a functioning as a 'thing.' Love and taste are two such examples. I love my husband. [here, the word love expresses an action and is therefore acting as a verb.] Send them my love. [here, the word love is an abstract noun because it is a thing that exists beyond

the five senses.] Sarah could taste cilantro in the salsa. [here, the auxiliary verb 'could' functions with taste to

illustrate action. She can physically taste the salsa.] Sarah has great taste in clothes. [here, taste is an abstract noun. Taste refers to her preferences.]

Abstract nouns can be countable or non-countable (mass). They can also be in singular or possessive form. These nouns follow the same grammar rules as other nouns.

Some common Abstract Nouns Emotions/Feelings Ideas/Concepts/Ideals States/Attributes

Love Beliefs Bravery

Hate Dreams Loyalty

Peace Justice Honesty

Pride Truth Integrity

Sympathy Faith Compassion

Liberty Charity

Movements/Events Knowledge Success

Progress Thought Courage

Education Information Deceit

Hospitality Culture Skill

Friendship Trust Beauty

Relaxation Dedication Brilliance

Abstract forms of nouns are very common and an important part of communication. In many cases these types of nouns are derived from an addition of a suffix or alteration in the root word. Child is a concrete noun, for example, but childhood is an intangible state, so it is abstract. Nouns with the following suffixes are often abstract: -tion -ism

-ity -ment

-ness -age

-ance/-ence -ship

-ability -acy

Abstraction is an important part of communication. These nouns name things that can't be seen, heard, tasted, smelled or touched, but allow us to express information by defining them on some level. An important precaution for students and writers, however, is that there is the danger of the being misunderstood when using abstract forms in writing. Words like love, freedom, beauty, taste, and justice, might mean different things to different people. To one person, good taste means eclectic and original; to another good taste might mean clean and modern. Teachers and writing coaches often recommend using concrete nouns to support any abstract references, thereby clarifying the message you are trying to convey. Understanding and recognizing abstract nouns is important. Although these nouns give expression to intangible entities, sentences with fewer abstract and more concrete nouns are typically more concise and clear.

GRAMMAR NOTES

GRAMMAR EXERCISES 1) Mark all abstract nouns with an A and all concrete nouns with a C

_____ honesty _____ child _____ marriage _____ friendship _____ sadness _____ school _____ house _____ freedom _____ trouble

_____ medicine _____ beauty _____ Fred _____ maturity _____ church _____ love _____ power _____ leg _____ pain

_____ president _____ success _____ luck _____ hate _____ city _____ sky _____ memory _____ talent _____ wealth

2) Look at the definit ions given below for twelve abstract nouns. Then read the sentences

that follow and choose the best abstract noun to use in each sentence. Each abstract noun is used one time.

compassion: to feel sorrow or sadness for another persons suffering liberty: the condition of being free and independent generosity: to give freely or share what you have with others awareness: the ability to know what is happening around you envy: a feeling of jealousy for what another person has pride: pleasure or feeling good about something you have accomplished talent: good skill or ability for a certain activity clarity: when something is easy to understand or clear to see dexterity: skill or quickness in a physical activity infancy: early childhood wisdom: knowledge and understanding gained through experience annoyance: a feeling of being bothered or irritated by some thing

a) After I saw her new computer and thought about my old laptop I felt great _________________

for what she had. b) The great explanation the teacher gave me filled me with _________________ about what I had

to do for the project. c) Children need the most support from parents during _________________. d) The loud car alarm that went off each night on my street was a great _________________ to

my neighbors and me. e) Most people in our country expect to have the _________________ to choose who their

leaders will be. f) Some very wealthy people show _________________ by giving to charity and the poor. g) Many times an older person will have _________________ that younger people have not yet

developed. h) After finally passing her driving test the third time she took it, the woman felt

_________________ in what she had accomplished by studying. i) The girl had a natural _________________ for working with children and became a teacher

when she grew up. j) When he saw the injured cat on the road, the man showed _________________ by picking it up

and taking it to a vet. k) It takes great _________________ to become a ballet dancer. l) The government puts warnings on cigarette packets so that people develop a (an)

_________________ of the dangers of smoking.

3) Choose one of the following two tasks: Choose an abstract noun for your t itle and add to these lines to create your own poem.

(TITLE) _________________________

(TITLE) _________________________ is (COLOR) _________________________ It smells like _________________________ It tastes like _________________________ It sounds like _________________________

It feels like _________________________ It lives _________________________

Choose and i llustrate six of these abstract nouns to indicate their meaning justice, bravery, happiness, fear, childhood, luxury , luck, generosity, sleep, pleasure, wisdom, appetite, hatred, failure, dishonesty, fact, fiction, poverty, confusion, slavery, ability, growth, anger, cleverness, rhythm, divorce, argument, goal, honesty, marriage, friendship, sadness, freedom, trouble, beauty, maturity, love, power, luck, hate, memory, talent, wealth

GRAMMAR PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES At the minimum, a prepositional phrase will begin with a preposition and end with a noun,

pronoun, gerund, or clause , the "object" of the preposition. The object of the preposition will often have one or more modifiers to describe it. These are

the patterns for a prepositional phrase: preposition + noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause preposition + modifier(s) + noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause

Here are some examples of the most basic prepositional phrase: at home: at = preposition; home = noun. in time: in = preposition; time = noun. from Richie: from = preposition; Richie = noun. with me: with = preposition; me = pronoun. by singing: by = preposition; singing = gerund. about what we need: about = preposition; what we need = noun clause.

Most prepositional phrases are longer, like these: From my grandmother: From = preposition; my = modifier; grandmother = noun. Under the warm blanket: Under = preposition; the, warm = modifiers; blanket = noun. In the weedy, overgrown garden: In = preposition; the, weedy, overgrown = modifiers; garden = noun. Along the busy, six-lane highway: Along = preposition; the, busy, six-lane = modifiers; highway = noun. Without excessively worrying: Without = preposition; excessively = modifier; worrying = gerund.

A prepositional phrase will function as an adjective or adverb. As an adjective, the prepositional phrase will answer the question Which one?

The book on the bathroom floor is swollen from shower steam. Which book? The one on the bathroom floor! The sweet potatoes in the vegetable bin are green with mold. Which sweet potatoes? The ones forgotten in the vegetable bin! The note from Beverly confessed that she had eaten the leftover pizza. Which note? The one from Beverly!

As an adverb, a prepositional phrase will answer questions such as How? When? or Where? Freddy is tired from yesterday's long football practice. How did Freddy get tired? From yesterday's long football practice! Before class, Josh begged his friends for a pencil. When did Josh do his begging? Before class! Feeling brave, we tried the Dragon Breath Burritos at Tito's Taco Palace. Where did we eat the spicy food? At Tito's Taco Palace!

Neither the subject nor the verb will ever be a part of the prepositional phrase. Consider this sentence: "The coat on the chair is mine." If we eliminate the prepositional phrase, "on the chair" then we can easily see that coat is the subject and is is the verb. "The coat on the chair is mine."

GRAMMAR NOTES

GRAMMAR EXERCISES 1) Locate the prepositional phrases in each sentence and put them into brackets.

a) By the end of the day, all of the dogs at the kennel were barking noisily in their cages. b) He stood on the beach and watched the ship beyond the dock slowly maneuver itself past the

markers and into the slip. c) For some strange reason, my neighbor across the street parks his car behind my garage. d) The people from the nearest town brought donations throughout the year for the victims of the

hurricane. e) Upon their arrival, the visitors were greeted at the door by Martin, who had a sly grin on his face. f) We'll put the notes under the cushion without any pillows over it. g) Everyone except Bill ran toward the boy sitting near the dangerous wire. h) Between you and me, this seems like Paul's worst attempt ever. i) Within two minutes, all of the trumpeters had laid their horns beneath their chairs on the stage. j) She positioned the needle over the skin above the cut and then plunged it into each side of the

gash with small, even strokes.

2) Choose the correct form. a) We finally solved our problem ____ a new device created by our research and development department.

1 from means of 2 by means of 3 by means from 4 by means to

b) I'd rather have beer ____ wine. 1 instead than 2 instead from 3 instead of 4 instead to

c) _____ my fellow employees, I would like to thank management for all they have done to improve our situation. 1 In behalf of 2 To behalf of 3 On behalf of 4 From behalf of

d) _____ bad weather, the trip will be postponed to next week. 1 In case 2 In case of 3 In case to 4 In case from

e) _____ me, I will be happy to dedicate a few extra hours to the cause. 1 As for 2 As of 3 As to 4 As from

f) How can they be going out?! Jane has nothing _____ Peter. 1 in common 2 in common to 3 in common of 4 in common with

g) You will have to remember that, _____ John, no one wants to work on this problem. 1 apart to 2 apart from 3 apart 4 apart of

h) _____ John, they won't finish the project until the end of next week. 1 According 2 According in 3 According from 4 According to

i) I'm all ____ helping out the poor when in need. 1 in favor of 2 in favor to 3 in favor for 4 in favor from

j) Because _____ interest in our product, we are going to stop production of the 'whamo ring'. 1 the lack of 2 of the lack of 3 the lack in 4 of the lack in

k) We will have to postpone our trip _____ the bad weather. 1 because 2 because to 3 because of 4 because from

l) _____ the large number of requests we have received, we are extending the sale to the end of the month. 1 Due to 2 Due of 3 Due from 4 Due

m) There is a mysterious car _____ the gate. 1 in front of 2 in front to 3 in front from 4 in front

n) She was a fearless woman who acted _____ her health. 1 without regard to 2 without regard for 3 without regard 4 without regard of

o) ______ your proposal Tom, I'm afraid we won't be able to approve your project. 1 With regards 2 With regards to 3 With regards of 4 With regards from

p) _____ our friendly staff, you'll find our hotel provides everything you could ever desire. 1 In addition 2 In addition of 3 In addition to 4 In addition from

q) Please don't be angry with me. I didn't break the toy ______. 1 to purpose 2 from purpose 3 on purpose 4 about purpose

r) You are going to have to work overtime _____ your responsibilities at home. 1 regardless to 2 regardless of 3 regardless through 4 regardless about

s) I'm afraid I've charged you too much _____. Sorry about that! 1 on mistake 2 from mistake 3 to mistake 4 by mistake

t) Learning English is sometimes difficult. However, you should remember that communication is ______ the most important thing. 1 by far 2 by far of 3 by far to 4 by far from

3) Which sentence is NOT correct? Correct the mistake.

1 He works in the first floor. 2 He lives in Park Street. 3 He works in the city centre.

a)

1 The calendar is on the wall. 2 The prince died on the end of the film. 3 There are no vegetarian meals on the menu.

b)

1 Turn right at the end of this street. 2 Tom is standing at the back of the queue. 3 Theres something written at the side of the box.

c)

1 My name is at the top of the list. 2 I live next from a railway line. 3 Your wallet is right in front of you.

d)

1 I saw Helen on the butchers today. 2 I saw Helen in the butchers today. 3 I saw Helen at the butchers today.

e)

1 Can you sign your name at the bottom please? 2 Sorry I missed you. I was at a meeting. 3 The school is at Kings Square.

f)

1 The office is on the main road between Derby and Nottingham. 2 Theres something written on the back of the envelope. 3 She lives in a farm on the mountains.

g)

VOCABULARY applicable able to be applied or used in a particular situation primjenjiv

apply to use (an idea, method, law, etc.) in a particular situation primijeniti

appoint to choose (someone) to have a particular job : to give (someone) a position or duty

dodijeliti

assure to make (something) certain : ensure osigurati

bulk of or relating to things that are sent or sold in large amounts vea koliina

bundle a group of things that are fastened, tied, or wrapped together paket, sveanj

certified mail provides you with a receipt at the time of mailing and a record of delivery

preporuena poiljka

charge to ask for money in return for providing or doing something naplatiti

cod mail allows merchants to offer customers an option to pay upon delivery, up to $1000. Includes insurance.

otkupna poiljka

compete to try to be better or more successful than someone or something else

natjecati se

coverage something that an insurance company will pay for : something that is covered by an insurance policy

pokrie

deliver to take (something) to a person or place dostaviti

delivery the act of taking something to a person or place dostava

designate to officially choose (someone or something) to do or be something : to officially give (someone or something) a particular role or purpose

odrediti, imenovati, namijeniti

destination a place to which a person is going or something is being sent odredite

distribute to give or deliver (something) to people dijeliti, razdijeliti

diverse different from each other razliit, raznolik, raznovrsni

domestic of, relating to, or made in your own country domai

engraving a picture made from an engraved surface gravura

establish to begin or create something uspostaviti

exceed to be greater or more than (something) premaiti, prijei

express mail overnight delivery guaranteed to most locations urna poiljka

extend credit offering the customers the option of paying for the products and services they purchase from you at a later date instead of upfront

prodaja uz poek

feasible possible to do mogu, izvediv

fee an amount of money that must be paid pristojba

flat rate a pricing structure that charges a single fixed fee for a service, regardless of usage

fiksan (cijena) ili bez ogranienja (na pr. negranien promet za internet)

gloom partial or total darkness tama, tmina

government agency an administrative unit of government vladina agencija

guarantee to make (something) certain jamiti

handling the act or process of packing and shipping something to someone (such as a customer)

rukovanje, postupanje

imprint a mark created by pressing against a surface ig

in advance before something happens unaprijed

inaugurate to begin to use or have (something) for the first time uvesti

increasingly more and more ratui, sve vie

insure to buy or provide insurance for (something, such as property or health)

osigurati

insured mail Insurance against loss or damage is for the value of the goods mailed. Amount of coverage can be specified, up to $5,000.

vrijednosna poiljka, sve vrijednosne poiljke osigurane od nezgode ili oteenja do oznaenog iznosa

introduce to cause (something) to begin to be used for the first time uvesti

levy to impose or collect (a tax, for example) ubirati (porez, pristojbu)

messenger someone who delivers a message or does other small jobs that involve going somewhere

glasnik

money order a money order can be bought from a bank or post office and sent by mail like a check to make a payment to another person

potanska uputnica

monopoly a large company that has complete control of the entire supply of goods or of a service in a certain area or market

monopolist

mounted having a horse or horses for riding konjanik, na konju

neithernor not one or the other niniti

overseas in or to a foreign country, esp. one across the sea inozemni

parcel a box or large envelope that is usually given, sent, or delivered to a person

paket

perseverance the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult

ustrajnost

pick up to go somewhere in order to get and bring back (someone or something)

podignuti

postage the cost of sending a letter or package by mail potarina

postcard a card on which a message may be sent by mail without an envelope and that often has a picture on one side

razglednica

priority mail 2 or 3-day service prioritetna poiljka

rapid happening or moving quickly brz

rate a price or amount to be paid that is set according to a scale or standard

cijena, tarifa

receive to get or be given (something) primiti

regardless in spite of difficulty, trouble, etc. bez obzira

registered mail a highly secure form of delivery that is documented at each step of the way

praena poiljka, T&T (TRACK AND TRACE) praenje poiljke prilikom transporta, korisnik u svakom trenutku ima uvid u kretanje poiljke

regularly very often redovito

required necessary nuan, obavezan

return receipt actively sends signature confirmation back to the sender by postcard or emailed PDF (as opposed to merely putting this information into the online tracking system)

dostavnica

round a series of regular or similar visits or stops ruta

scheduled planed at a certain time isplaniran, predvien, po rasporedu

sender a person who sends a letter, package, message, etc. poiljatelj

somewhat in a small amount or degree : to some degree poneto

special delivery The USPS offered special delivery from 1885 to 1997. The letter would be dispatched more immediately and directly from the receiving post office to the recipient rather than being put in mail for distribution on the regular delivery route

posebna dostava

special handling applies to shipments that are loaded in such a manner as to require additional labor and handling to unload or load out

izdvojeni paket, paket za koji poiljatelj prigodom predaje zahtijeva da se s njim postupa uz poveanu pozornost.

stay stop or delay something or someone zaustaviti

substantially very much : a lot znatno, znaajno

swift happening or done quickly or immediately brz

uniform not varying or changing istovrstan, homogen, jednolik

valuable worth a lot of money or important to someone in a personal way vrijedan

welfare benefits a government program for poor or unemployed people that helps pay for their food, housing, medical costs, etc.

socijalne naknade