Biometrics Reading Answers

Dec 7, 2022

Biometrics Reading Answers contains eight passages and 14 different types of questions. Candidates will be shown various question types with clear instructions in this IELTS Section. Reading Answers comprises three types of questions: Matching heading, sentence completion, and Choose the correct option. For the Matching heading, candidates need to thoroughly go through each passage. For sentence completion, candidates need to skim the passage for keywords and understand the concept. To choose the correct option, candidates must read the IELTS Reading passage and understand the statement provided.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Biometrics IELTS Reading Sample

The term “biometrics'' is derived from the Greek words bio (life) and metric (to measure). It refers to technologies for measuring and analysing a person’s physiological or behavioural characteristics, such as fingerprints, irises, voice patterns, facial patterns and hand measurements, for identification and verification purposes. One of the earliest known examples of biometrics in practice was a form of fingerprinting used in China in the 14th century. Chinese merchants stamped children’s palm prints and footprints on paper with ink to distinguish the young children from one another. This method of biometrics is still being practiced today.
Until the late 1800s, identification largely relied upon ‘photographic memory.’ In the 1890s, an anthropologist and police desk clerk in Paris named Alphonse Bertillon sought to fix the problem of identifying convicted criminals and turned biometrics into a distinct field of study. He developed a method of multiple body measurements which was named after him – Bertillonage. Bertillon based his system on the claim that the measurement of adult bones does not change after the age of 20. He also introduced a cataloguing system, which enabled the filing and checking of records quite quickly. His system was used by police authorities throughout the world, until 1903, when two identical measurements were obtained for two different persons at Fort Leavenworth prison. The prison switched to fingerprinting the following day and the rest of the world soon followed. abandoning Bertillonage forever. After the failure of Bertillonage, the police started using fingerprinting, which was developed by Richard Edward Henry of Scotland Yard, essentially reverting to the same methods used by the Chinese for years.
In the past three decades, biometrics has moved from a single method (fingerprinting) to more than ten different methods. Hundreds of companies are involved with this development and continue to improve their methods as the technology available to them advances. As the industry grows, however, so does the public concern over privacy issues. Laws and regulations continue to be drafted and standards are beginning to be developed. While no other biometric has yet reached a wide range of use of fingerprinting, some are beginning to be used in both legal and business areas.
Identification and verification have long been in practice by presenting a personal document, such as a license, ID card or a passport. It may also require personal information such as passwords or PINs. For security reasons, often two, or all three, of these systems are combined but as times progress, we are in constant need for more secure and accurate measures. Authentication by biometric verification is becoming increasingly common in corporate and public security systems, consumer electronics and point-of-sale applications. In addition to security, the driving force behind biometric verification has been convenience. Already, many European countries are introducing a biometric passport which will carry a paper-thin computer chip to store the facial image and at least one additional biometric identifier. This will help to counter fraudulent efforts to obtain duplicate passports and will verify the identity of the holder against the document.
Identification and verification are mainly used today in the fight against crime with the methods of fingerprint and DNA analysis. It is also used in security for granting access rights by voice pattern recognition. Additionally, it is used for personal comfort by identifying a person and changing personal settings accordingly, as in setting car seats by facial recognition. Starting in early 2000, the use of biometrics in schools has become widespread, particularly in the UK and USA. A number of justifications are given for such practices, including combatting truancy and replacing library cards or meal cards with fingerprinting systems. Opponents of school biometrics have raised privacy concerns against the creation of databases that would progressively include the entire population.
Biometric devices consist of a reader or scanning device, software that converts the gathered information into digital form, and a database that stores the biometric data for comparison with previous records. When converting the biometric input, the software identifies specific points of data as match points. The match points are processed using an algorithm into a value that can be compared with biometric data in the database. There are two types of biometrics: behavioural and physical. Behavioural biometrics are generally used for verification while physical biometrics can be used for either identification or verification.
Iris-pattern and retina-pattern authentication methods are already employed in some bank automatic teller machines. Voice waveform recognition, a method of verification that has been used for many years with tape recordings in telephone wiretaps, is now being used for access to proprietary databases in research facilities. Facial-recognition technology has been used by law enforcement to pick out individuals in large crowds with considerable reliability. Hand geometry is being used in the industry to provide physical access to buildings. Earlobe geometry has been used to disprove the identity of individuals who claim to be someone they are not (identity theft). Signature comparison is not as reliable, all by itself, like other biometric verification methods but offers an extra layer of verification when used in conjunction with one or more other methods. No matter what biometric methodology is used, the identification verification process remains the same. A record of a person’s unique characteristic is captured and kept in a database. Later on, when identification verification is required, a new record is captured and compared with the previous record in the database. If the data in the new record matches that in the database record, the person’s identity is confirmed.
As technology advances and time goes on, more and more private companies and public utilities will use biometrics for safe, accurate identification. However, these advances will raise many concerns throughout society, where many may not be educated on the methods. Some believe this technology can cause physical harm to an individual using it, or that instruments used are unsanitary. For example, there are concerns that retina scanners might not always be clean. There are also concerns as to whether our personal information taken through biometric methods can be misused, tampered with, or sold, eg. by criminals stealing, rearranging or copying the biometric data Also, the data obtained using biometrics can be used in unauthorized ways without the individual’s consent. Much still remains to be seen in the effectiveness of biometric verification before we can identify it as the safest system for identification.

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Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 27-31:

The passage on Biometrics has eight paragraphs, marked A-H. Which paragraph contains the following information?

possible health hazards associated with the use of biometrics

Answer: H
Supporting sentence: Some believe this technology can cause physical harm to an individual using it, or that instruments used are unsanitary
Keywords: health hazards, biometrics
Keyword location: Paragraph H; line 2
Explanation: The aforementioned paragraph discusses the numerous drawbacks of technology use. Including some potential health risks for the general public.

convicted criminals were not the first to be identified by the use of biometrics

Answer: A
Supporting sentence: One of the earliest known examples of biometrics in practice was a form of fingerprinting used in China in the 14th century. Chinese merchants stamped children’s palm prints and footprints on paper
with ink to distinguish the young children from one another. This method of biometrics is still being practised today.
Keywords: convicted criminals, biometrics
Keyword location: Paragraph A; line2
Explanation: Although in current times biometrics is linked to criminology, its original application was with Chinese merchants who used it to differentiate youngsters.

the application of mathematics in assessing biometric data

Answer: F
Supporting sentence: When converting the biometric input, the software identifies specific points of data as match points. The match points are processed using an algorithm into a value that can be compared with
biometric data in the database.
Keywords: mathematics, biometric data
Keyword location: Paragraph F; line 2
Explanation:The techniques utilized in the application of biometrics to find match points heavily rely on mathematics.

despite its limitations, biometrics has become a commercial field of activity

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: In the past three decades biometrics has moved from a single method (fingerprinting) to more than ten different methods. Hundreds of companies are involved with this development and continue to
improve their methods as the technology available to them advances.
Keywords: limitations, biometrics
Keyword location: Paragraph C; line1
Explanation: With the widespread usage of biometrics in contemporary society, it has been adopted for use by commercial businesses, which also raises concerns around personal data.

some biometric methods are useful only in conjunction with others

Answer: G
Supporting sentence: Later on, when identification verification is required, a new record is captured and compared with the previous record in the database. If the data in the new record matches that in the database record, the person’s identity is confirmed.
Keywords: biometric, conjunction
Keyword location: Paragraph G; line 6
Explanation: Some biometrics databases must be used in conjunction with one another in order to produce the best results; not all biometrics databases are sufficient when used independently.

Questions 32-34:

Choose no more than two words from the passage to complete the given sentences:

Members of the public are becoming increasingly worried about the……………….that may accompany the use of biometrics.

Answer: Privacy issues
Supporting sentence: Opponents of school biometrics have raised privacy concerns against the creation of databases that would progressively include the entire population.
Keywords: opponents, population
Keyword location: Paragraph E; line 4
Explanation: Any use of biometrics has benefited the globe in many ways, but it has also raised privacy issues.

Biometrics can be used to improve the……………….of drivers and passengers.

Answer: personal comfort
Supporting sentence: Already, many European countries are introducing a biometric passport that will carry a paper-thin computer chip to store the facial image and at least one additional biometric identifier. This will help to counter fraudulent efforts to obtain duplicate passports and will verify the identity of the holder against the document.
Keywords: facial image, biometric, duplicate
Keyword location: Paragraph D; line 4
Explanation: Utilizing biometrics enables drivers and passengers to get to know one another better, ensuring that they are both familiar with each other's habits.

Regardless of the technology used, it has one common purpose: to find somebody’s ………………and store it on a computer.

Answer: characteristics
Supporting sentence: Biometric devices consist of a reader or scanning device, software that converts the gathered information into digital form, and a database that stores the biometric data for comparison with previous records
Keywords: scanning device, databas, records.
Keyword location: Paragraph F; line1
Explanation: The use of biometrics ensures that a large number of people's data are stored in one location, increasing the likelihood that this data will be misused.

Questions 35-40:

Fill in the blanks using the correct option from the given options and complete the summary.

As long ago as the 14th century, the Chinese made use of biometrics in order to tell young children apart, but it was only in the 1890s when it was first used by the authorities as a means of 35 _________ in criminal cases. The system developed by the Frenchman Bertillon – that of measuring adult bones – was flawed, however, and so police adopted 36 _________as a more reliable way of identifying suspects. Governments, companies and even schools employ biometric technology to ensure, for example, that people do not enter a country illegally, gain access to certain buildings, or assume someone else’s 37 _________Apart from security, another important 38 behind biometric verification has been 39 ____________he use of biometrics, however, has its critics, who say that the data collected could be used for different purposes without our 40 ____________

identification
security
convenience
scanning
fingerprinting
identity
violation
measuring
justification
approval
factor
apprehension

Question 35.

Answer: Identification
Supporting sentence: Identification and verification are mainly used today in the fight against crime with the methods of fingerprint and DNA analysis. It is also used in security for granting access rights by voice pattern
recognition.
Keywords: identification, verification
Keyword location: Paragraph E; line1
Explanation: Initially, biometrics were not used for criminal purposes, but as time went on, the USA and the UK discovered ways to use it to track down criminals

Question 36.

Answer: Fingerprinting
Supporting sentence: His system was used by police authorities throughout the world, until 1903, when two identical measurements were obtained for two different persons at Fort Leavenworth prison. The prison switched to fingerprinting the following day and the rest of the world soon followed. abandoning Bertillonage forever.
Keywords: police, prison.
Keyword location: Paragraph B; line 4
Explanation:The prison rejected the use of Frenchman's methods and preferred fingerprints as a more reliable biometric instead.

Question 37.

Answer: identity
Supporting sentence: Hand geometry is being used in industry to provide physical access to buildings. Earlobe geometry has been used to disprove the identity of individuals who claim to be someone they are not (identity theft)
Keywords: geometry, earlobe, physical access.
Keyword location: Paragraph G; line 3
Explanation:Biometrics have been crucial in preventing people from assuming other people's identities and endangering other people.

Question 38.

Answer: factor
Supporting sentence: In addition to security, the driving force behind biometric verification has been convenience.
Keywords: In addition, verification
Keyword location: Paragraph D, line 7
Explanation: The use of biometric verification is becoming more widespread in corporate and governmental security systems due to how convenient it is

Question 39.

Answer: convenience
Supporting sentence: Authentication by biometric verification is becoming increasingly common in corporate and public security systems, consumer electronics, and point-of-sale applications. In addition to security, the driving force behind biometric verification has been convenience
Keywords: individual’s consent
Keyword location: Paragraph D; line 3
Explanation: The usage of biometrics has largely been fueled by convenience. Eliminating criminals is more advantageous for the public and also simpler to employ.

Question 40.

Answer: approval
Supporting sentence: Also, the data obtained using biometrics can be used in unauthorised ways without the individual’s consent
Keywords: individual’s consent
Keyword location: Paragraph H; line 5
Explanation: Because biometric data can be used without a person's consent, it is crucial that any data stored be done so with that person's consent.

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