The United States Postal Service (also known as USPS, the Post Office, informally as the P.O or the U.S. Mail) is the third largest employer in the United States. It employs over 785,000 workers in over 14,000 U.S. postal facilities. The Postal Service has certainly grown and changed since 1775 when the first Postmaster General – Benjamin Franklin – was named to head the Post Office Department, the forerunner of the current USPS. At that time, members of the Second Continental Congress agreed that the Postmaster General (headquarters), or most important offices, would be stationed in Philadelphia, and that the Postmaster would be paid $1,000 a year for his or her service. As the country grew westward, it became necessary for the railroad system to carry the mail. The Railway Mail Service (RMS) was initiated in 1862. The RMS workers sorted mail on the train, and became some of the fastest workers in the system. By 1918, the Post office took over air mail from the U.S. Army. The first airplanes used in U.S. air mail were surplus planes from World War I. By 1920, over 49 million air mail letters had been delivered. The Post Office has used alternate methods of transmission during its history. It owned and operated the first telegraph lines from 1884 to 1887 – when the lines were privatized. It utilized “V– Mail” (Victory Mail) during World War II when U.S. military mail was put on microfilm in the U.S. and printed near its destination, in order to save space on military transport. During the 1980s, Electronic Computer Originated Mail, called ECOM, was used for some bulk mailings. Computer generated mail was printed near its destination, and bore a blue ECOM logo on its special envelopes. In 1970, the Postal Reorganization Act, signed by President Richard Nixon, replaced the Post Office Department (a Cabinet–level department) with the independent US Postal Service. The Postal Service has installed automated customer–service equipment in lobbies, and is planning to automate even more of its work, including more machines which will process parcels and forwarded mail. 1. What is the other name for the United States Post Office? A. The U.S.A Mail C. the Post Office Department B. the P.O D. The U.S.A Postal Department 2. How much did Benjamin Franklin earn as Postmaster General A. $1,000 per year B. $10,000 per year C. $100 per year D. $100,000 per year 3. What technological innovation did the Post Office use during World War II? A. Telegraph lines C. Mail on microfilm B. Surplus airlines D. Electronic Computer Originated Mail 4. When was the Post Office removed from the Executive Cabinet? A. 1862 B. by 1920 C. 1970 D. None of the above 5. What acronym was used for the system of transporting mail by rail? A. USPS B. MLOCRs C. ECOM D. RMS 6. The best synonym for headquarters in the second paragraph is ___________. A. employer B. postmaster C. mainstream D. main office 7. According the passage, which following is NOT TRUE? A. There are over 785,000 employees in the U.S. postal facilities. B. Victory Mail was used during World War I to save space on military transport. C. ECOM, which was bore a blue logo on its special envelopes, was used for some bulk mailings D. Some of the fastest workers in the U.S. postal system were the RMS workers who sorted mails on the train.