CHECKOUTS RING UP FOOD BILLS BY THE TROLLEYFUL
A British firm is to develop radio tags
that could shorten queues at the supermarket, writes John Stansell.
5
10
The first licence for the technology that
will add up supermarket shoppers' bills at
checkouts without their having to unpack
their trolley has been granted to the British-based computer firm ICL.
Tiny microchip barcodes can identify and
price every item in a couple of seconds as
the goods are wheeled under an electronic arch - similar to those used as security
doorways at airports.
The technology will also protect against
15 shoplifters, as any item concealed within a
pocket, shopping basket or tucked into
another package, will be identified and
automatically added to the bill.
20
The electronic technology, first revealed in
January this year, combines a microchip
and a radio antenna into a "label" no bigger than a current barcode. The labels
can simply be stuck or printed on to
30 goods. When these are passed through
an archway fitted with three reading
heads, a computer identifies them by
recognizing a unique code stored on the
chip's memory. The computer not only
35 records their prices but also alerts a
stock-control program that an item has
been sold. In its prototype form, the technology can read 50 items a second.
25
40
Ed Turner, manager of ICL Retail Systems, believes the advent of "Supertag"
technology will be as significant as was
the introduction of the barcode.
The Sunday Times, July 10, 1994
The same barcode system could be used
for monitoring the movements of people in
and out of buildings for security purposes
: hospitals are suggested as a likely area
to benefit.
45
Checkouts ring up food bills
Page 1
F.D.
TRUE OR FALSE ?
NAME :
FORM :
DATE :
1. This document deals with the telephone.
  /   / Line :
2. In Britain, a company has just invented a new technology.
  /   / Line :
3. This new technology will make shoppers’ life easier.
  /   / Line :
4. Each product will be fitted with an electronic barcode.
  /   / Line :
5. The products will have to be checked one by one.
  /   / Line :
6. Airports use the same kind of technology.
  /   / Line :
7. This technology has further advantages.
  /   / Line :
8. It is likely to reduce shoplifting.
  /   / Line :
9. It can also check people outside and inside buildings.
  /   / Line :
10. Hospitals like this new technology.
  /   / Line :
11. This new process appeared six months before the article was published.
  /   / Line :
12. It associates two elements.
  /   / Line :
13. This system is larger than the usual barcode.
  /   / Line :
14. The labelled items are identified by a reading head.
  /   / Line :
15. Each item has its own personal code.
  /   / Line :
16. This system also allows to check stocks.
  /   / Line :
17. It is already fully operational
  /   / Line :
18. It is much quicker than the traditional check out.
  /   / Line :
19. The manager of the company is proud about his new product.
  /   / Line :
20. Apparently, this new technology has only advantages.
  /   / Line :
Checkouts ring up food bills
Page 2
F.D.
FROM TEXT TO FUNCTION
NAME :
line 1
Function :
In other words :
line 1
FORM :
DATE :
radio-tags that could shorten queues ...
expressing hypothesis or ability
that would make it possible to reduce ...
A British firm is to develop radio-tags ...
Function :
In other words :
line 6
at checkouts without them having to unpack ...
Function :
In other words :
line 9
Tiny microchip barcodes can identify ...
Function :
In other words :
line 10
as the goods are wheeled under an electronic arch ...
Function :
In other words :
line 15
as any item within a pocket ...
Function :
In other words :
line 19
The same barcode system could be used
Function :
In other words :
line 20
The same barcode could be used for monitoring ...
Function :
In other words :
line 22
hospitals are suggested as a likely area to ...
Function :
In other words :
line 33
The computer not only records ... but also alerts ....
Function :
In other words :
line 31
a computer identifies them by recognizing ...
Function :
In other words :
To help you, just in case of need !
Expressing means, introducing two elements, expressing proposal, expressing hypothesis, explaining/justifying, expressing simultaneousness, expressing ability, expressing lack of obligation,
expressing intention, expressing purpose.
Checkouts ring up food bills
Page 3
F.D.
PREPARING THE COMMENTARY
NAME :
FORM :
DATE :
A. Give a name to the various parts of the document (text only).
line 1/3
line 4/8
line 9/13
line 14/18
line 19/23
line 24/37
line 38/41
line 42
B. Anticipation : What do the three following words have in common ? They all refer to ...
checkout
food bill
.............. ?
trolleyful
C. The new technology referred to in the document is given four different names :
1.
3.
2.
4.
D. The products people buy in a supermarket are given two names in the text :
1.
2.
E. This document is  British  American.
This is shown by :




F. Introduce the document precisely (type, origin, author, date, headline, topic ...)
Checkouts ring up food bills
Page 4
F.D.
COMMENTARY
NAME :
FORM :
Development
DATE :
Functions
The document we are dealing with is an article from the Sunday Times (week-end supplement of the famous British newspaper), dated 10(th) July 1994. It is entitled Checkouts ring
up foodbills by the trolleyful and was written by the journalist
J.Stansell, as stated in the subtitle which, as usual, is more
explicit than the title and lets us know that the article is about
a new anti-theft device called Supertag developed by a British
company named ICL.
This new product consists of a microchip (i.e. a tiny electronic
circuit) and an antenna as small as the well-known barcode
tags now used by most shops and stores (in order) to identify
and price items and goods on sale.
On the one hand, this state-of-the-art technology offers a
wide array of advantages :
Firstl(ly), thanks to its small size, it can be attached to almost
any item of any size.
Second(ly), as it is quickly and automatically detected by
checkout arches/devices/systems, shoppers needn't unpack
their trolleys anymore, a task that a lot of people find (or used
to find) unpleasant and tiresome and which entails a great
waste of time at checkouts.
Third(ly), this system is an efficient safeguard/protection
/guarantee against shoplifting/shoplifters as all items are detected even if they have been hidden into a pocket or another
package.
Fourth(ly), this technology will help update stock-keeping automatically since any item taken out of the shop will immediately be erased from the stock list.
Fifth(ly), this device can also be used for security purposes to
check/monitor the movements of people in various places
such as hospitals or restricted or hazardous areas.
On the other hand, there might be three drawbacks :
First, it may lead to more unemployment, as some security
and checkout jobs are more than likely to disappear.
Then, a possible failure/breakdown of the computer system
may paralyse the whole company/store.
Last but not least, this police-like control may be viewed by
many as an infringement of their civil rights/freedom.
As a conclusion, we may rightly wonder whether this technology will ever be used on a wide scale. Only time will tell.
To help you : expressing hypothesis, explaining/justifying, concluding, expressing purpose, expressing origin, expressing ability/possibility, giving examples, organising ideas, introducing the
topic, expressing a lack of obligation, expressing break between past and present, expressing
cause, expressing doubt/expectation, expressing probability, expressing range, expressing consequence, contrasting, giving references, expressing habit, overbidding (saying more), expressing
alternative, comparing
Checkouts ring up food bills
Page 5
F.D.
AS
Look at the document :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Barcodes … can identify …every item … as the goods are wheeled … (line 11)
An electronic arch similar to those used as security doorways. (line 12)
The technology will also protect … as any item … will be identified … (line 15)
Hospitals are suggested as a likely area. (line 22)
Supertag … will be as significant as was the introduction of the barcode. (line 40)
tandis que les articles passent …
En tant que sas de sécurité
Puisque tout article sera identifié
Suggérer comme
Aussi significatif que …
Expressing simultaneousness
Identity
Explaining/justifying
Verb phrase
Comparing
AS/LIKE
She speaks as an assistant : she is an assistant and she speaks as such.
Elle parle en tant qu’assistante.
She speaks like an assistant : she is not an assistant but she sounds like one.
Elle parle comme une assistante.
Can you say : She speaks as a man ?
COMPOUNDS
As long as : aussi longtemps que, tant que
As soon as : aussitôt que, dès que
As yet = so far : jusqu’à present
ACTIVITY
Translate the following sentences :
1. L’ordinateur est tombé en panne pendant que j’envoyais un e-mail.
2. Il parle comme comptable
3. En tant que concepteur, je pense que ce produit aura un impact significatif.
4. Cet article n’est pas semblable a ceux des concurrents ;
5. Comme tout article est automatiquement détecté, il est inutile de le dissimuler.
6. Ce produit a été identifié comme étant dangereux pour la santé.
7. Cette invention est aussi importante que ne l’a été l’ordinateur.
8. Puisque cet article a été détecté, il sera automatiquement ajouté à la note
9. Personne n’a vu l’utilité d’un tel produit jusqu’à présent.
10. Aussitôt qu’un magasin est équipé, le taux de vol à l’étalage chute nettement.
(Translation on the back of this page)
Checkouts ring up food bills
Page 6
F.D.