How Lock Picking Works Reading Answers

Dec 26, 2022

How Lock Picking Works Reading Answers is a topic discussing about different lock mechanisms without damaging the locks. The given IELTS topic has been taken from the book called “IELTS The Complete Guide to Academic Reading”. There are 13 questions total in the the topic called How Lock Picking Works Reading Answers, which the candidates should attempt within the given time span of 20 minutes. Four different wide range of questions are included in this topic, such as, choose the match the headings, no more than three words, complete the notes, and complete the table. The candidates should read thoroughly the IELTS reading passage in order to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and for answering the questions below. Similar kinds of topics like How Lock Picking Works Reading Answers are included in the IELTS reading practice papers, which the candidates can take into their consideration for performing a good score in this section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

How Lock Picking Works Reading Answers

Section A

Lock picking is an essential skill for locksmiths because it lets them get past a lock without destroying it. When you lock yourself out of your house or lose your key, a locksmith can let you back in very easily. Lock-picking skills are not particularly common among burglars, mainly because there are so many other, simpler ways of breaking into a house (throwing a brick through a back window, for example). For the most part, only intruders who need to cover their tracks, such as spies and detectives, will bother to pick a lock.

Simply understanding the principles of lock picking may change your whole attitude toward locks and keys. Lockpicking clearly demonstrates that normal locks are not infallible devices. They provide a level of security that can be breached with minimal effort. With the right tools, a determined intruder can break into almost anything.

Section B

Locksmiths define lock-picking as the manipulation of a lock’s components to open a lock without a key. To understand lock—picking, then, you first have to know how locks and keys work.

Think about the normal deadbolt lock you might find on a front door. In this sort of lock, a movable bolt or latch is embedded in the door so it can be extended out to the side. This bolt is lined up with a notch in the frame. When you turn the lock, the bolt extends into the notch in the frame, so the door can’t move. When you retract the bolt, the door moves freely. The lock’s only job is to make it simple for someone with a key to move the bolt but difficult for someone without a key to move it.

Section C

The most widely-used lock design is the cylinder lock. In this kind, the key turns a cylinder in the middle of the lock, which turns the attached mechanism. When the cylinder is turned one way, the mechanism pulls in on the bolt and the door can open. When the cylinder turns the other way, the mechanism releases the bolt so the door cannot open.

One of the most common cylinder locks is the pin design. Its main components are the housing (the outer part of the lock which does not move), the central cylinder, and several vertical shafts that run down from the housing into the cylinder. Inside these shafts are pairs of metal pins of varying length, held in position by small springs.

Without the key, the pins are partly in the housing and partly in the cylinder, so that the mechanism cannot turn and the lock, therefore, cannot open. When you put the correct key into the cylinder, the notches in the key push each pair of pins up just enough so that the top pin is completely in the housing and the bottom pin is entirely in the cylinder. It now turns freely, and you can open the lock.

Section D

To pick a pin lock, you simply move each pin pair into the correct position, one by one. There are two main tools used in the picking process.

Picks: long, thin pieces of metal that curve up at the end (like a dentist’s pick).

A tension wrench: the simplest sort of tension wrench is a thin screwdriver.

The first step in picking a lock is to insert the tension wrench into the keyhole and turn it in the same direction that you would turn the key. This turns the cylinder so that it is slightly offset from the housing around it, creating a slight ledge in the pin shafts.

While applying pressure to the cylinder, you slide the pick into the keyhole and begin lifting the pins. The object is to lift each pin pair up to the level at which the top pin moves completely into the housing as if pushed by the correct key. When you do this while applying pressure with the tension wrench, you feel or hear a slight click when the pin falls into position. This is the sound of the upper pin falling into place on the ledge in the shaft. The ledge keeps the upper pin wedged in the housing, so it won’t fall back down into the cylinder. In this way, you move each pin pair into the correct position until all the upper pins are pushed completely into the housing and all the lower pins rest inside the cylinder. At this point, the cylinder rotates freely and you can open the lock.

Section E

You’ll find pin locks everywhere, from houses to padlocks. They are so popular because they are relatively inexpensive but offer moderate security. Another common type of cylinder lock is the wafer lock. These work the same basic way as to pin locks, but they have flat, thin pieces of metal called wafers rather than pins. You pick the wafers exactly the same way you pick pins — in fact, it is a little bit easier to pick wafer locks because the keyhole is wider. Despite giving relatively low security, these locks are found in most cars.

Tubular locks provide superior protection to pin and wafer locks, but they are also more expensive. Instead of one row of pins, tubular locks have pins positioned all the way around the circumference of the cylinder. This makes them much harder to pick. Conventional lock-picking techniques don’t usually work on this type of lock, which is why they are often found on vending machines.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Question 15 – 19:
Reading passage has five sections A-E. Choose the most suitable headings for sections A—E from the list of headings below. Write the correct number i—x in boxes 15-19 on your answer sheet.

List of headings

How to make the locks in your home more secure
How to open a lock without a key
Choosing the right tools to open locks
The cylinder and the bolt
How to open a lock with a different key
Lock varieties
How a basic deadbolt system works
The people who open locks without a key
How a cylinder lock works
How to pick different kinds of lock

Section A
Section B
Section C
Section D
Section E

Question-15

Answer: viii
Supporting Statement: “Lock picking is an essential skill for locksmiths because it lets them get past a lock without destroying it.”
Keywords: lock picking
Keywords Location: section A, line 1
Explanation: The first line of paragraph A implies that lock picking is a vital feature which the locksmiths uses for braching a lock without causing any damage to it.

Question-16

Answer: vii
Supporting Statement: When you retract the bolt, the door moves freely.
Keywords: deadbolt
Keywords Location: section B, line 2
Explanation: The paragraph B in the passage describes the functionalities of the deadbolt system. The door moves swiftly with the release of the bolt.

Question- 17

Answer: ix
Supporting Statement: In this kind, the key turns a cylinder in the middle of the lock, which turns the attached mechanism.
Keywords: cylinder lock
Keywords Location: Section C, line 1
Explanation: The beginning line of paragraph C explains that the cylinder lock mechanism is one of the design which is used by most of the locksmiths. The key turns the connected machinery by rotating a cylinder in the middle of the lock.

Question- 18

Answer: ii
Supporting Statement: To pick a pin lock, you simply move each pin pair into the correct position, one by one.
Keywords: pick a pin lock
Keywords Location: Section D, line 1
Explanation: Line 1 of paragraph D states that in case someone loses the key, they can access the lock via a pin. They can open the lock by moving the pair of pin into correct positions of the lock, and this is the major procedure of lock picking.

Question- 19

Answer: vi
Supporting Statement: “You’ll find pin locks everywhere, from houses to padlocks”
Keywords: pin locks, wafer locks, tubular locks
Keywords Location: section E, line 1
Explanation: The beginning line of paragraph E says that the pin locks are available everywhere from houses to padlocks, and they comes with better security with less price.

Questions 20-22:
Complete the diagram below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Question-20

Answer: Housing
Supporting Statement: Its main components are the housing (the outer part of the lock which does not move), the central cylinder, and several vertical shafts that run down from the housing into the cylinder.
Keywords: Housing
Keywords Location: Section C, second para
Explanation: The second paragraph of section C states that for the lock, one of the vital parts are the housing. It is the outer portion of the lock and it is immovable.

Question- 21

Answer: Cylinder
Supporting Statement: Its main components are the housing (the outer part of the lock which does not move), the central cylinder, and several vertical shafts that run down from the housing into the cylinder.
Keywords: cylinder
Keywords Location: Section B, Para 2
Explanation: This is the cylinder, another component of a lock. Section B’s second paragraph states that the central cylinder along with various vertical shafts are also other major components of the lock

Question- 22

Answer: Pins
Supporting Statement: Inside these shafts are pairs of metal pins of varying length, held in position by small springs.
Keywords: pins
Keywords Location: Section B, para 2
Explanation: Section B’s second paragraph states that there are pairs of metal pins of different length located within the verical shafts of the the locks which are located in position by small springs.

Questions 23-25:
Complete the notes below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Picking a lock

Turn cylinder slightly using 23…………..
Hold cylinder still and insert 24………….
Push the top pin into the shaft.
Hold top pin above the cylinder, on 25………………
Lift and hold all other pins in the same way.
Turn cylinder and open lock.

Question- 23

Answer: Tension wrench
Supporting Statement: The first step in picking a lock is to insert the tension wrench into the keyhole and turn it in the same direction that you would turn the key.
Keywords: tension wrench
Keywords Location: section D, last line
Explanation: The concluing line of paragraph D suggests that for the lock opening purpose, firstly, we have to place the tension wrench inside the keyhole and then we should turn the cylinder slowly in the same direction.

Question- 24

Answer: Pick
Supporting Statement: While applying pressure to the cylinder, you slide the pick into the keyhole and begin lifting the pins
Keywords: Pick
Keywords Location: section D, last para
Explanation: The ending paragraph of section D states that for opening the lock, the pick is inserted inside the keyhole by holding the cylinder still.

Question- 25

Answer: Ledge
Supporting Statement: The ledge keeps the upper pin wedged in the housing, so it won’t fall back down into the cylinder.
Keywords: Ledge
Keywords Location: Section D, last line
Explanation: The concluding line of paragraph D states that the ledge maintains the upper pin stuck in the housing and prevents it from falling back into the cylinder.

Questions 26-27:
Complete the table below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Type of Lock	How secure	Where used
Pin	26…..	Houses, padlocks, etc
27……	Relatively low security	Most cars
Tubular	Superior protection	Vending machine

Question- 26

Answer: Moderate security
Supporting Statement: “They are so popular because they are relatively inexpensive but offer moderate security.”
Keywords: moderate security
Keywords Location: section E, the first line
Explanation: Pins used in houses and padlocks, provide moderate security. The beginning line of paragraph E explains that the most popular locks named pin locks, comes with better security inspite of being less priced.

Question- 27

Answer: Wafer
Supporting Statement: “Despite giving relatively low security, these locks are found in most cars.”
Keywords: low security
Keywords Location: section E, last line
Explanation: The ending portion of paragraph E clarifes that the wafer locks basically comes with a very low security than a pin lock and is still available in most of the cars. The holding of the wafer locks are easier as its keyhole is ample and broad.

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