Every human being has a unique① arrangement of the skin on his fingers and this arrangement is unchangeable. Scientists and experts have proved the uniqueness of finger-prints and discovered that no exactly similar pattern is passed on from parents to children, though nobody knows why this is the case.
The ridge structure on a person’s fingers does not change with growth and is not affected by surface injuries. Burns, cuts and other damage to the outer part of the skin will be replaced in time by new one, which bears a reproduction of the original② pattern. It is only when the inner skin is injured that the arrangement will be destroyed. Some criminals make use of this fact to remove their own finger-prints but this is a dangerous and rare step to take.
Finger-prints can be made very easily with printer’s ink. They can by recorded easily. With special methods, identification③ can be achieved successfully within a short time. Because of the simplicity and economy of this system, finger-prints have often been used as a method of solving criminal case. A suspected man may deny a charge but this may be in vain. His finger-prints can prove who he is even if his appearance has been changed by age or accident.
When a suspect leaves finger-prints behind at the scene of a crime, they are difficult to detect with the naked eye. Special techniques are used to “develop” them. Some of the marks found are incomplete but identification is possible if a print of a quarter of an inch square can be obtained.
Notes:
① unique adj. 唯一的，独特的
② original adj. 最初的，原始的
③ identification n. 辩认，鉴定
小题1: Scientists and experts have proved that the pattern of a human being’s finger skin ________.
A．is similar to his mother’s
B．is valuable to himself only
C．is like that of others with the same type of blood
D．is different from that of all others小题2: If your fingers are wounded by knife, fire or other means, the structure of skin will ________.
A．be changed partly
B．be replaced by a different one
C．be the same when the wound is recovered
D．become ugly小题3: Some criminals remove their own finger-prints by ________.
A．using printer’s ink
B．injuring the inner skin
C．damaging the outer skin
D．damaging the colour小题4: Finger-prints have often been used as a method of solving criminal case because it ________.
A．is complicated but reliable
B．is simple and not expensive
C．is expensive but easy to do
D．can bring a lot of money
