Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.
Fingerprints are the marks made by the ridges on the ends of the fingers and thumbs. These ridges form a pattern that stays the same throughout a person’s life. No two persons have ever had the same fingerprints. So fingerprints are a foolproof way of identifying a person.
A fingerprint record is made in an interesting manner. A small piece of metal is coated with a thin film of ink. Next. A person’s finger and thumb tips are pressed against the inked surface. Then the fingertips are pressed on a white card. The prints are recorded in exact detail.
Fingerprinting is often used to solve crimes. Fingerprints are picked up at the scene of a crime. These are compared with those of a suspect. Millions of fingerprints are kept on files by police departments.
Fingerprinting is also used in finding missing persons and identifying unknown dead. It is used to screen people who apply for certain jobs.
It is thought that the Chinese used thumbprints to sign documents a long time before Christ. The system used today was invented by Sir Francis Galton in the 1880s. In 1901 Sir E.R. Henry found a simple way of grouping fingerprints. His system is used by many law-enforcement organizations.
