Task D

Read the article and answer the questions which follow.

Electronic Identification
A computer company has produced a device which can be implanted into
people. The device, which is embedded under a person's skin, holds an antenna and a
microchip. The chip transmits its data by radio waves that can be scanned.
Information about the person and also his /her location can be displayed on a screen.
So far, the device is being marketed mainly for medical uses. The device can,
for example, hold information on the medical history of a person and this could be
valuable in a medical emergency. Doctors could get the information quickly and save
lives. Another clear use for the device is security. You would, for example, need the
right device under your skin to gain access to areas such as nuclear power plants,
military bases, or cockpits of airplanes. However, the device has so far been
implanted only in animals. By 2005, over eight million dogs and cats had been
chipped in the Home Again Project. If a lost animal is brought to veterinarian, it can
be scanned and the owner called.
The device does not have to be injected and a version called the Digital Angel is
now available which clips on to the wearer's belt. The Digital Angel can be attached to
a child or an elderly grandparent. If the person wanders off, they can be traced on a
PC. Police are interested in the Digital Angel, because it is a lockable device which
will allow the police to monitor the behavior of criminals and parolees.
Privacy of the individual is a problem, however, for some people. Some people
believe that wearing the gadget will become a legal requirement. This would mean
that an individual’s location could be established at any time, thus limiting his or her
freedom. A critic of the device said, “there’s a reason we keep our identities to
ourselves and don’t walk around wearing name tags. It’s called freedom.” To which a
possible response might be “freedom for what and from what exactly?" If a person
has nothing to hide, they can relax. Only the guilty need to feel afraid.
It is exciting to think that in the not too-distant future, you will approach the
locked front door of your home or office and it will automatically open because of the
chip in your body. There will be no need for keys to start a car. Eventually, you will be
able to control your computer just by thinking about it. The device may also hold all
our personal preferences. At our approach, our favorite music will play on the stereo,
the car seat will adjust to fit us automatically, the oven will automatically cook our
favorite dishes, and the TV will tune in to our favorite station.

1. Find and underline if clauses, such as the one below, in the article:
If criminals are fitted with the device, their behavior can be monitored.

2. Use if clauses to link these pieces of information to form complete sentences:

a. Children fitted with the device --trace and locate

 b. Airports better protected--employees wear a chip

c. Medical operations much safer --- patients are implanted with their

medical records.

d. Cars fitted with the device--- easier to locate

e. Demand high---the device produced cheaply

3. Write a summary of the advantages of the identification device.

4. In groups, debate the advantages and disadvantages of the device.