The Keyless Society — IELTS Reading Answers

Paragraph B

“Already, more than 10,000 facilities, from prisons to day-care centres, monitor people's fingerprints or other physical parts to ensure that they are who they claim to be.”

Paragraph B shows biometrics already widespread, with over 10,000 facilities and 60 companies earning millions, so the heading about a rapidly growing industry fits.

Paragraph C

“Biometric security systems operate by storing a digitised record of some unique human feature. When an authorised user wishes to enter or use the facility, the system scans the person's corresponding characteristics and attempts to match them against those on record”

Paragraph C explains how biometric systems work, storing a digitised record and matching a person's scan against it, so the heading on how they operate fits.

Paragraph D

“Sixteen American states now use biometric fingerprint verification systems to check that people claiming welfare payments are genuine”

Paragraph D describes sixteen American states using fingerprint verification to check that welfare claimants are genuine, an example of verifying identities.

Paragraph E

“To date, the most widely used commercial biometric system is the handkey, a type of hand scanner which reads the unique shape, size and irregularities of people's hands”

Paragraph E calls the handkey the most widely used commercial system, reading the unique shape and irregularities of hands, describing a leading system.

Paragraph F

“Malaysia, for example, is preparing to equip all of its airports with biometric face scanners to match passengers with luggage. And Japan's largest maker of cash dispensers is developing new machines that incorporate iris scanners”

Paragraph F reports Malaysia equipping airports with face scanners and Japan developing iris scanners, showing new applications being planned.

Paragraph G

“Not surprisingly, biometrics raise thorny questions about privacy and the potential for abuse”

Paragraph G raises thorny questions about privacy and the potential for abuse, so the heading about concerns over misuse fits.

Paragraph H

“Nonetheless, support for biometrics is growing in Toronto as it is in many other communities. In an increasingly crowded and complicated world, biometrics may well be a technology whose time has come”

Paragraph H says support for biometrics is growing and the technology's time has come, so the heading about a promising future fits.

sports students

“Students who want to enter the University of Montreal's Athletic Complex need more than just a conventional ID card- their identities must be authenticated by an electronic hand scanner”

Students entering the University of Montreal Athletic Complex must have their identities authenticated by an electronic hand scanner, option B.

Olympic athletes

“Originally developed for nuclear power plants, the handkey received its big break when it was used to control access to the Olympic Village in Atlanta by more than 65,000 athletes, trainers and support staff”

The handkey controlled access to the Olympic Village in Atlanta for more than 65,000 athletes, trainers and support staff, so athletes match the hand scanner.

airline passengers

“Malaysia, for example, is preparing to equip all of its airports with biometric face scanners to match passengers with luggage”

Malaysia is preparing to equip all its airports with biometric face scanners to match passengers with luggage, so airline passengers need the face scanner.

welfare claimants

“Sixteen American states now use biometric fingerprint verification systems to check that people claiming welfare payments are genuine”

Sixteen American states use biometric fingerprint verification to check that people claiming welfare payments are genuine, so fingerprint scanner, option A.

business employees

“The first commercial biometric, a hand reader used by an American firm to monitor employee attendance, was introduced in 1974”

The first commercial biometric was a hand reader used by an American firm to monitor employee attendance, so business employees match the hand scanner.

home owners

“In some California housing estates, a key alone is insufficient to get someone in the door; his or her voiceprint must also be verified”

In some California housing estates a key alone is insufficient; the resident's voiceprint must also be verified, so home owners match option D.

bank customers

“And soon, customers at some Japanese banks will have to present their faces for scanning before they can enter the building and withdraw their money”

Customers at some Japanese banks will have to present their faces for scanning before entering to withdraw money, so bank customers need the face scanner.