New body scanners see through clothes
(from http://www.freeeslmaterials.com)
Travellers at two US airports will soon be searched by new high-tech scanners. International airports in Los Angeles and New York have installed digital body scanners that can ‘see through’ clothing. The new machines will mainly search for weapons and explosives. They use the very latest technology, called millimeter wave imaging. Radio waves create a 3-D image of someone’s body to see if they are concealing anything dangerous. Government officials say the new equipment will make air travel safer. A spokesperson said: “Imaging devices are not a brand new security tool, but they are a brand new security tool for airports.” There are plans to install the devices in another 30 airports across the country. An official promised that passengers will prefer the scanner to a security guard patting their body.
The new technology has raised questions by privacy groups, who believe the scanning process is too detailed. They say the device can see too much of the naked body. A civil liberties spokesman said it was the same as a virtual strip search. He warned: “We need to make sure there are good safeguards. The temptation is great not to follow procedures when a celebrity or someone well-known is involved.” One female passenger at LA airport suggested that only female operators should be allowed to scan female passengers. She said she was highly embarrassed to see a male official looking at the digital image of her body. She was also worried the scanned images could end up on the Internet. It seems it’s only a matter of time, however, before the machines replace metal detectors.
TASKS FOR THE ARTICLE
Ex.1. AIRPORT SECURITY DISCUSSION:Which of the security checks below would you like to see introduced at airports? Talk about this with your partner(s). Rate each item from 10 (This is essential) to 1 (How ridiculous). Change partners and share your ideas.
| _____ metal detectors _____ 3-D body scanners _____ sniffer dogs _____ strip searches | _____ questioning by officials _____ contents search of baggage _____ video interviews _____ body patting searches |
Ex.2. WRITING ON 3-D PHENOMENON:Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘3-D’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
Ex.3. TRUE / FALSE: Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F):
| a. | All international airports will soon have high-tech body scanners. | T / F |
| b. | The main purpose of the scanners is to prevent terrorist attacks. | T / F |
| c. | The scanners are a brand new tool for the global security industry. | T / F |
| d. | An official said people will prefer metal detectors to the body scanner. | T / F |
| e. | Civil liberties groups are concerned about people’s privacy. | T / F |
| f. | A civil libertarian said a full strip search was preferable to the scanner. | T / F |
| g. | The civil libertarian was worried about celebrities and famous people. | T / F |
| h. | A passenger wondered whether body images would be posted online. | T / F |
Ex.4. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
| 1. | searched | a. | hiding |
| mainly | b. | reach | |
| 3. | concealing | c. | touching |
| 4. | devices | d. | created |
| 5. | patting | e. | freedoms |
| 6. | raised | f. | frisked |
| 7. | liberties | g. | machines |
| 8. | safeguards | h. | appeal |
| 9. | temptation | i. | precautions |
| 10. | end up on | j. | largely |
Ex.5. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):
| 1. | searched by new | a. | questions |
| mainly search for weapons and | b. | embarrassed | |
| 3. | Radio waves create a 3-D image | c. | tool for airports |
| 4. | they are a brand new security | d. | high-tech scanners |
| 5. | a security guard patting | e. | much of the naked body |
| 6. | The new technology has raised | f. | their body |
| 7. | They say the device can see too | g. | are good safeguards |
| 8. | We need to make sure there | h. | of time |
| 9. | She said she was highly | i. | of someone’s body |
| 10. | It seems it’s only a matter | j. | explosives |
Ex. 6. READ AND FILL IN THE SPACES:
Travellers at two US airports ____ new high-tech scanners. International airports in Los Angeles and New York ____ scanners that can ‘see through’ clothing. The new machines will mainly search ____. They use the very latest technology, called millimeter wave imaging. Radio waves create a 3-D image of someone’s body to see if they ______ dangerous. Government officials say the new equipment will make air travel safer. A spokesperson said: “Imaging devices ____ security tool, but they are a brand new security tool for airports.” There are plans to install the devices in another 30 airports across the country. An official promised that passengers will prefer the scanner ____ their body. The new technology _____ privacy groups, who believe the scanning process is too detailed. They say the device can see too much of the naked body. A civil liberties spokesman said _____ virtual strip search. He warned: “We need to make sure there are good safeguards. The temptation _____ procedures when a celebrity or someone well-known is involved.” One female passenger at LA airport suggested that only female operators ______ female passengers. She said she was highly embarrassed to see a male official looking at the digital image of her body. She was also worried the scanned images _____ Internet. It seems it’s ______, however, before the machines replace metal detectors.
Ex.7. LANGUAGE:Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.
Travellers at two US airports will soon be (1) ____ by new high-tech scanners. International airports in Los Angeles and New York have (2) ____ digital body scanners that can ‘see through’ clothing. The new machines will (3) ____ search for weapons and explosives. They use the (4) ____ latest technology, called millimeter wave imaging. Radio waves create a 3-D image of someone’s body to see if they are concealing anything dangerous. Government officials say the new equipment will make air travel safer. A spokesperson said: “Imaging devices are not a brand new security tool, but they are a brand new security tool (5) ____ airports.” There are plans to install the devices in another 30 airports across the country. An official promised that passengers will prefer the scanner (6) ____ a security guard patting their body. The new technology has (7) ____ questions by privacy groups, who believe the scanning process is too detailed. They say the device can see too much of the naked (8) ____. A civil liberties spokesman said it was the same as a virtual strip search. He warned: “We need to make sure there are good safeguards. The temptation is (9) ____ not to follow procedures when a celebrity or someone well-known is (10) ____.” One female passenger at LA airport suggested that only female operators should be allowed to scan female passengers. She said she was (11) ____ embarrassed to see a male official looking at the digital image of her body. She was also worried the scanned images could end up on the Internet. It seems it’s only a matter of time, however, (12) ____ the machines replace metal detectors.
| 1. | (a) | searchable | (b) | searched | (c) | searching | (d) | search |
| 2. | (a) | installation | (b) | installing | (c) | installed | (d) | install |
| 3. | (a) | mainly | (b) | manly | (c) | meanly | (d) | manfully |
| 4. | (a) | hugely | (b) | highly | (c) | most | (d) | very |
| 5. | (a) | to | (b) | in | (c) | for | (d) | by |
| 6. | (a) | to | (b) | on | (c) | for | (d) | by |
| 7. | (a) | sky rocketed | (b) | elevated | (c) | lifted | (d) | raised |
| 8. | (a) | bodies | (b) | body | (c) | bodice | (d) | bodily |
| 9. | (a) | grateful | (b) | grate | (c) | greet | (d) | great |
| 10. | (a) | solved | (b) | revolved | (c) | involved | (d) | evolved |
| 11. | (a) | tall | (b) | highly | (c) | up | (d) | top-level |
| 12. | (a) | before | (b) | since | (c) | during | (d) | after |
Ex.8.AIRPORT SECURITY DISCUSSION:
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS
| a) | What did you think when you read the headline? |
| b) | What springs to mind when you hear the words ‘airport security’? |
| c) | What do you think of the new high tech body scanners? |
| d) | How would you feel to be scanned by something that can see through your clothes? |
| e) | What other uses can you think of for the body scanner? |
| f) | Do you think air travel will ever be totally free from terrorist attack? |
| g) | What do you think of the current security procedure of metal detectors and being frisked by security officials? |
| h) | Do you worry about security when you travel? |
| i) | What other kinds of security would you like to see at airports? |
| j) | Do you like hearing about new high-tech devices? |
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS
| a) | Did you like reading this article? |
| b) | Do you understand why privacy groups are worried? |
| c) | Do you share the civil liberties group’s concerns that the scanner is the same as a virtual strip search? |
| d) | Do you think airport staff would use the scanner for the wrong purposes? |
| e) | Do famous people need extra attention when passing through the body scanner? |
| f) | Would you be highly embarrassed at images taken by the scanner? |
| g) | Do you think the 3-D images could end up on the Internet? |
| h) | Do you like airports? |
| i) | What questions would you like to ask the civil libertarians? |
| j) | Did you like this discussion? |
Ex.9.WRITING: Write about airport. Correct your partner’s paper.
Ex.10. SPEAKING: Speak on the airport security.
ADDITIONAL TASKS
Ex.1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations with each word.
Ex.2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out about airport security and body scanners. Share what you discover with your partner(s) at the next lesson.
Ex.3. MAKING A POSTER ON HIGH-TECH:Make a poster about the latest high-tech gadgets and devices. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
Ex.4. WRITING AN ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about the dangers of 3-D body scanners at airports. Include imaginary interviews with an airport security chief and a passenger whose body image ended up on the Internet.
Read what you wrote to your classmates at the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
Ex.5. TRANSLATION: Translate the Russian language article from the “Russian language articles” ADDENDUM.
Unit VIII