US Post Office Raises Prices
美國郵政調漲價格
Introduction
The US Post Office (USPS) is raising prices for stamps and mail. This starts on Sunday.
美國郵政 (USPS) 將調漲郵票和郵件價格。這將於週日開始實施。
Main Body
A Forever stamp now costs 82 cents. Postcards cost 65 cents. Letters to other countries cost $1.75. There is a new $7.50 fee for dangerous materials.
現在一張 Forever 郵票價格為 82 美分。明信片為 65 美分。寄往其他國家的信件則需 1.75 美元。危險物品將增收 7.50 美元的費用。
The post office is losing a lot of money. It lost $9 billion last year. People send fewer letters now. The cost to move mail is too high.
郵政局目前虧損嚴重。去年虧損了 90 億美元。現在寄信的人減少了，且郵件運輸成本過高。
Some leaders in the government are unhappy. They say the mail is slow. The USPS says the new prices are necessary to keep the service working.
部分政府領導層對此表示不滿。他們認為郵遞速度太慢。而 USPS 則表示，為了維持服務運作，調漲價格是必要的。
Conclusion
The USPS needs more money because fewer people use mail.
由於使用郵遞的人數減少，USPS 需要更多資金。
Vocabulary Learning
💸 Money Words
Look at how we talk about prices in the text:
- costs used for a single price (A stamp costs 82 cents).
- fee an extra charge for a special service ($7.50 fee).
📉 Moving Down
When something becomes smaller or less, we use these words:
Fewer used for things you can count (letters).
Losing when money goes away.
Example from text: "People send fewer letters now."
💡 Quick Logic: Cause & Effect
The Problem: Fewer letters less money losing billions.
The Solution: Raise prices get more money keep the service working.