A credit card that will not work unless it hears its owner's voice could
become an important weapon in the fight against fraud. The card
requires users to give a spoken password that it recognizes using a built-in
voice-recognition chip. The idea is to prevent thieves using a stolen card or
fraudsters using someone else's credit card details to buy goods
online. A model built by engineers at Beepcard in Santa Monica,
California, represents the first attempt to pack a microphone, a loud speaker, a
battery and a voice-recognition chip into a standard-sized credit
card. They are not quite there yet: the card is the length and
width of an ordinary credit card, but it is still about three times as thick.
Alan Sege, Beepcard's CEO, says the company now plans to use smaller chips to
slim it down to normal thickness. The voice card is based on an
earlier Beepcard technology designed to prevent fraud in online transactions.
This earlier card has no microphone, but has a built-in loudspeaker that it uses
to "squawk"(发出叫声) a voice ID signal via a computer's microphone to an online
server. By verifying(证实) that the signal matches the card
details, the server can establish that the user is not simply keying in a credit
card number but actually has the card to hand. The ID code changes each time the
card is used in a pre-ordered sequence that only the server knows.
This prevents fraudsters recording the beeps, noting the card details and
then playing back the audible ID when the key in the details later. But this
earlier technology cannot prevent fraudulent use of stolen cards. The new one
can. The new voice card also identifies itself by its ID
squawk, but it will not do this until it has verified the legitimate user's
spoken password. Thieves will be unable to use the card because even if they
knew the password they would have to be unable to copy the owner's voice with a
high degree of accuracy. The challenge for Beepcard has been to
develop voice-recognition and audio circuitry that can be powered by a mini
battery embedded in a credit card. To maximize battery life, the electronics are
only switched on when the card is being used. Pressing a button on the card's
surface prompts it to utter "Say your password" in female voice. If the voice-
recognition software proves that the password is authentic, it sends its ID
squawk which the server then identifies, allowing the transaction to
proceed.
单选题
How can the credit card recognize the spoken password given by the
user?
A. By using a voice-recognition chip embedded in the card.
B. By using a voice-recognition device built in the server.
单选题
Are the engineers at Beepcard satisfied with the model they have built?
Why or why not?
A. Yes, because the model they have built is a standardized credit
card.
B. No, because the model they have built is too heavy.
C. No, because the model they have built is too thick.
D. Yes, because the model they have built is used worldwide.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 第四段告诉我们，工程师们还未完全达到他们的预想目标(they are not quite there yet)，也就是说，他们对这种信用卡还不满意，原因是，尽管和普通信用卡在长度和宽度上相同，但是厚度却是普通信用卡的3倍。因此，C项是正确答案。
单选题
What is the main difference between the earlier model and the new voice
card?
A. The new one can identify itself by its ID squawk.
B. The new one can produce beeps.
C. The new one needs the user to key in ID details.
D. The new one works only when it hears the password spoken by the
user.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 第七段告诉我们，“But this earlier technology cannot prevent fraudulent use of stolen cards. The new one can.”第八段第一句中的also说明，先前的语音信用卡也同样有发声系统，所以，B不是正确选项，C也不是正确选项，因为先前的语音信用卡也需要使用者输入身份信息。唯一不同的新技术是使用语音识别系统，只有在该系统确认口令是使用者本人发出的时，才会继续工作。所以，D项是正确答案。
单选题
What is the advantage of the voice card?
A. It is safer because it requires more ID information.
B. It is safer because the voice-recognition chip is built in.
C. It is safer because no one but the user can use the card.
D. It is safer because it can hardly be cheated by fraudsters.