Some people in Manchester, Britain, will soon be paying for goods and services with so-called “smart” credit cards. These cards are more secure than the traditional magnetic-strip version and can be used to travel on buses, check bank accounts and do shopping.
The Manchester project is one of the biggest smart card schemes in the world. Every time people use the cards on a bus or train, the fare is deducted (reduced) from the value of the card. When they have no credit left, the cards can be recharged at a local shop.
A smart card looks just like a normal plastic card but it has a silicon chip in it. It is possible for the same silicon chip to perform a number of different functions, so one plastic card in your pocket could do a large number of different jobs. The card has much more memory space than a magnetic-strip card, so many more things can be recorded on it.There are two types of smart cards. One is the contact card which is used in the same way as a magnetic-strip card.
Information is transferred by running the card through a narrow opening in an electronic reader. In the slot, electronic probes make contact with the magnetic-strip or silicon ship and read the information. The other type is the contactless smart card where the electronic reader communicates with the card by short-range radio waves. This makes the card quicker and more convenient to use because it does not have to leave your wallet. It is also more reliable as it is not easily influenced by scratches or dirt. However, the biggest advantage that smart cards have over magnetic-strip cards is that they are more secure. They are much more difficult to make than conventional cards and they have to be made by specially trained manufacturers. In addition, they have a large number of extra security features on them and if a smart card gets lost or stolen a quick phone-call to the distributor ensures that its individual number is made invalid and unreadable. This can be done more quickly than with a magnetic-strip card.
小题1:A smart credit card can do many kinds of jobs because ____ .
A．it is smart
B．it is a plastic card
C．it has a silicon chip in it
D．it can be recharged小题2:“ The cards can be recharged” means that ____ .
A．the card can be put into a new charge of electricity
B．the cards can be changed into new ones
C．the cards can be put to use again
D．the cards can be recycled小题3:What are the advantages of smart credit cards over traditional ones?
A．they can store more information
B．they are more secure
C．they are more convenient to use
D．all of the above小题4:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Contactless cards are more convenient to use than contact ones
B．Smart cards are more expensive to manufacturer
C．By means of long-range radio waves contactless cards can communicate with the electronic reader
D．A smart credit card and a normal plastic card are the same thing
