The history of the bar code
Read The history of the bar code and check the IELTS Reading answers. The first step toward today's bar codes came in 1948, when Bernard Silver, a graduate student in the USA, overheard a conversation in the halls of Philadelphia's Drexel Institute of Technology. The president of a food chain was p…
Passage preview
The first step toward today's bar codes came in 1948, when Bernard Silver, a graduate student in the USA, overheard a conversation in the halls of Philadelphia's Drexel Institute of Technology. The president of a food chain was pleading with a professor to undertake research on a method of capturing product information automatically at store checkouts. The professor turned down the request, but Bernard Silver mentioned the conversation to his friend Norman Woodland, a twenty-seven-year-old teacher at Drexel. The problem fascinated the two friends, and they set about thinking of a solution.
Vocabulary from this passage
9 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- consortium noun
An association, typically of several business companies or organizations, formed to participate in a common activity or pool resources.
A consortium of international tech firms collaborated to establish global standards for artificial intelligence.
- exact tolerances noun
The precise allowable limits or variations in the dimensions, properties, or conditions of a manufactured object or technical system.
Aerospace engineering demands components manufactured to exact tolerances to ensure safety during high-speed atmospheric re-entry.
- inventory noun
A complete, detailed list of goods, materials, or assets held in stock by an organization, institution, or commercial business entity.
Automated tracking software allows local warehouses to manage their inventory efficiently without experiencing critical supply shortages.
- massive scale noun
An extremely large or extensive degree of implementation, operation, or development affecting a vast population or geographic area.
The government launched an immunization campaign on a massive scale to eliminate the spread of the endemic virus.
- practical reality noun
An actual state of affairs or a functional circumstance that exists in practice, rather than merely as a theoretical concept.
Transitioning fully to renewable energy sources has finally become a practical reality due to recent technological breakthroughs.
- proprietary adjective
Relating to an owner or ownership, particularly indicating that a product or technology is privately owned and protected by copyright or patent.
The laboratory developed a proprietary software system to protect its sensitive research data from external access.
- standardization noun
The process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties to ensure compatibility and quality.
The global standardization of medical equipment protocols significantly reduced operational errors across international hospitals.
- surveillance noun
The close and continuous observation of a person, group, or area, particularly using technological instruments for security or monitoring purposes.
Advanced drone surveillance systems are utilized by researchers to monitor endangered wildlife populations across vast African savannas.
- unanimously adverb
In a manner that shows complete agreement or consensus among all the members or individuals involved in a decision-making process.
The academic board unanimously approved the proposal to integrate environmental science into the core curriculum.
Answers with explanations
- 1. ink
The question asks for a noun that was used with **ultraviolet light**. The text explicitly mentions that their first system used patterns printed with an **ink** that glowed under **ultraviolet light**. This perfectly matches the needed word.
- 2. soundtracks
The notes state the second system was based on **Morse code** and the technology for films. The text says it used elements from **Morse code** and the method used to record **soundtracks** in movies (films). This makes **soundtracks** the correct noun.
- 2-3: C
2: The notes state the second system was based on **Morse code** and the technology for films. The text says it used elements from **Morse code** and the method used to record **soundtracks** in movies (films). This makes **soundtracks** the correct noun.
3: The notes list the problems of the second system as being **expensive** and something else. The text confirms the **cost** was high and the scanning equipment was **unreliable**. Therefore, **unreliable** is the missing adjective.
- 3. unreliable
The notes list the problems of the second system as being **expensive** and something else. The text confirms the **cost** was high and the scanning equipment was **unreliable**. Therefore, **unreliable** is the missing adjective.
- 3-4: ants
3: The notes list the problems of the second system as being **expensive** and something else. The text confirms the **cost** was high and the scanning equipment was **unreliable**. Therefore, **unreliable** is the missing adjective.
4: The notes mention that the availability of **cheaper** items allowed the technology to spread. The text states scanning systems advanced when **lasers** became **affordable** (cheaper). Thus, **lasers** is the correct answer.
- 4. lasers
The notes mention that the availability of **cheaper** items allowed the technology to spread. The text states scanning systems advanced when **lasers** became **affordable** (cheaper). Thus, **lasers** is the correct answer.
- 5. standardization
The question asks what was lacking in code systems. The text explains that various systems were in use, but there was no **standardization** (a **lack of** it). The exact spelling from the text is the correct answer.
- 6. speed
The notes ask what increased at the **checkouts**. The text notes that using the new equipment allowed for checking out items at twice the **speed**. This matches the context precisely.
- 7. marathons
The note seeks a group of **participants** who use bar codes today. The text states that runners in major **marathons** set off with bar codes on their vests, indicating that **marathons** is the correct missing word.
- 8. bees
The question asks what **scientists** (researchers) are studying using bar codes. The text says that researchers have mounted bar codes on **bees** to track them. Thus, **bees** is the required noun.
- 9. FALSE
The statement claims the president of a food chain **invited** Bernard Silver to develop the system. The text shows Silver merely **overheard** the president pleading with a professor. Because he was not invited directly, the statement is FALSE.
- 10. TRUE
The statement says the **committee** decided bar codes should be **easy to use** and **not too expensive**. The text confirms they wanted labels to be **cheap** (not too expensive) and readable from any angle to make life **easier for the cashier** (easy to use). Therefore, the statement is TRUE.
- 11. NOT GIVEN
The text states Haberman believed business didn't need the **government** to force them in the right direction. However, it does not state whether he fundamentally **disagreed with government policies**. Because his opinion on their policies is absent, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 12. NOT GIVEN
The text states that grocery outlets **had to spend** a large amount of money on the equipment. However, it never mentions whether they were **unable to afford** it or struggled to pay. Since we don't know their financial capability, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 13. TRUE
The statement suggests it **took some time** for the advantages to be accepted. The text directly supports this, stating the advantages were **not clear immediately** and that users remained **suspicious** at first. Thus, it is TRUE.