How Communication Evolved

§Text Passage

1Summary 重點摘要

From beacon fires and letters to telegraphs, phones and the internet — messages get faster and the world feels closer.

2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary

3Step by step Steps

1. Step 1: Ancient communicationLong ago there were no phones or the internet, so people thought of clever ways to send news. Beacon towers on the Great Wall made smoke by day and fire by night, passing news of enemy attacks from post to post, reaching armies far away quickly. There were also relay stations carrying letters stage by stage and drums passing sounds. Beacon fires were used only for emergencies, like today's alarms; ordinary letters rode with the post-horses and took many days on the road.
2. Step 2: The letter ageLater people sent news by letter, writing their words on paper for post riders or carrier pigeons to carry. A letter to a faraway place took more than ten days; even a pigeon flew for days, and wind and rain made it slower, sometimes losing the letter on the way. Letters travelled further than spoken messages and remembered them more truly, but they were slow — waiting for a reply often took many days. Still, a letter from a faraway relative made the whole family happy, and the paper was treasured for years.
3. Step 3: Telegraph and telephoneOver a hundred years ago, people invented ways to send messages with electricity. The telegraph turned words into beep-beep, tap-tap signals, and news reached faraway places in minutes; in 1876 Bell invented the telephone, and people heard each other's voices through a line for the first time — people of the day found it amazing. Phoning needed no writing, so old people and children could use it; the world seemed to shrink at once, and families drew closer.
4. Step 4: SmartphonesA smartphone puts a phone, a camera, a computer and the internet into one pocket — the most important tool of communication today. Video-call your cousin in Britain and you can see her smiling face and expressions; even thousands of miles apart, it feels like talking in the same room. Phones also send texts, take photos, navigate and search for information. Still, however handy phones are, use them under an adult's guidance, not for too long at a time, and take care of your eyes.
5. Step 5: The internet ageThe internet links computers and phones all over the world, and news travels at top speed. Post a photo of the sports day results, and the whole class sees it within a second, with comments and shared photos right away. Relatives and friends far away can be reached at any time by email and video calls. The internet brings fast, plentiful information and great convenience; we must also learn to choose what is useful — check first, believe after, and never carry false news along.
6. Step 6: Use communication politelyThe better our communication tools, the more politely we should use them. Never say hurtful words online — hurting someone through a screen is still bullying; never tell strangers your name, address or phone number, and keep yourself safe. Think whether news is true before forwarding it, and pass on nothing you are not sure of. When you meet, talk more with family and friends; put the phone down — care given face to face is warmer than words on a screen.

4Diagrams Diagrams

5Worked example Example

6Common mistakes Mistakes

7Quick check Quick check

8Recap Recap

• Beacon fires, letters and pigeons were ancient communication.
• Telegraphs turned words into signals; phones carried voices.
• Smartphones and the internet spread news worldwide in seconds.
• Easier communication means greater care with personal details.
• Put the phone down and talk face to face with family.