Question

【题目】Decades before the first unaccompanied child was put on a plane to grandma’s in the care of a flight attendant, a few resourceful parents accomplished the same end by simply dropping their kids in the mail.

This was in the earliest days of the parcel post service, which launched in 1913. Before that, U.S. Postal Service packages were capped at four pounds, which limited the goofy things people tried to send by post.

But when the parcel service began, all kinds of cargo showed up in the mail stream, including coffins, eggs, dogs and, in a few cases, human young.

According to National Postal Museum historian Nancy Pope, the first known case of a mailed baby was in 1913 when Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Beauge of Glen Este, Ohio, shipped their 10-pound infant son to his grandmother’s home about a mile away, paying 15 cents in postage and springing for $50 in insurance (because they were worriers).

But some children were mailed much farther, Pope said. Edna Neff of Pensacola, Fla., was 6 when she was packed off — or packaged off — to her father’s home in Christiansburg, Va., 720 miles away.

The precious parcels weren’t truly parcels in the brown-paper. Instead they were more like companions in the arms of their carriers or walked along the route(路线). But the most famous mailed child, May Pierstorff, was indeed sent by an Idaho railway mail car in 1914 with the appropriate stamps stuck to her traveling coat. May’s picture survives, but no physical evidence of her trip. “We would sure love to have that coat,” Pope said.

In 1914, the postmaster general instituted a rule about the mail that stands to this day: no humans. But that didn’t stop an ambitious thief from crating himself up and shipping himself airmail. When William DeLucia, packed in a trunk labeled “Musical Instruments” along with food and an oxygen tank, was airborne, he climbed out, pilfered thousands of dollars’ worth of goods from the registered mail and sealed himself back up. He was arrested at the Atlanta airport in 1980 after his trunk popped open as it was being unloaded.

“We have his oxygen tank” at the Postal Museum, Pope noted with pride.

【1】What did U.S Postal Service put a limit to before 1913?

A. The value of the mail.

B. The weight of parcels.

C. The content in the mail.

D. The postage for packages.

【2】How was Jesse Beauge’s son mailed?

A. Packed in a mailbox.

B. Walked along the route.

C. Sent by a railway mail car.

D. Carried in the arms of the postman.

【3】What does Nancy Pope wish to be exhibited most in the Postal Museum?

A. May’s picture.

B. The brown-paper.

C. May’s traveling coat.

D. Idaho railway mail car.

【4】Who discovered William DeLucia at last?

A. The airport porter.

B. The airport police.

C. The passenger victims.

D. The postmaster general.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】D

【3】C

【4】A

【解析】本文简介了美国邮政邮寄孩子服务的历史。几十年前，第一个孤身一人的孩子被带上飞机去奶奶家。而有些父母只是简单地把孩子丢在邮包里。而这些珍贵的“包裹”并不是真的棕色纸包裹的邮件，他们更像是邮递员臂弯里的同伴。更离奇的是竟然有小偷藏身于包裹中盗窃贵重物品，结果还是没有逃脱机场卸货员的检查。

【1】细节理解题。根据第二段This was in the earliest days of the parcel post service, which launched in 1913. Before that, U.S. Postal Service packages were capped at four pounds可知，1913年前，美国邮政限制邮件的重量不超过4磅重。故选B。

【2】细节理解题。根据第三段the first known case of a mailed baby was in 1913 when Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Beauge of Glen Este, Ohio, shipped their 10-pound infant son to his grandmother’s home about a mile away可知，1913年，Beauge夫妇把自己的儿子通过邮寄的方式送到一英里外的祖母家。孩子只有10磅重，当然是邮递员抱着小孩子送过去。故选D。

【3】细节理解题。根据倒数第三段But the most famous mailed child, May Pierstorff, was indeed sent by an Idaho railway mail car in 1914 with the appropriate stamps stuck to her traveling coat. May’s picture survives, but no physical evidence of her trip. “We would sure love to have that coat,” Pope said.得知，Pope希望May在邮寄旅行中穿的外套被邮政博物馆展览。故选C。

【4】推理判断题。根据倒数第二段He was arrested at the Atlanta airport in 1980 after his trunk popped open as it was being unloaded.可知，小偷的藏身箱在被机场工作人员卸载时突然开箱被发现。故选A。