Fifty years of barcodes (P6) 鍚夋灄姣撴枃涓 璧佃幑 
Lead-in  Where do you see barcodes?
  

Prediction Fifty years of barcodes What is the text probably about? 
Skimming  Read the text quickly and underline the topic sentence of each paragraph. Note:  The topic sentence often lies in the first or the last sentence. Para1:  Para2:  Para3:  Para4:  Para5:  Para6:  Para7:  
Key:     
Fast reading  Let’s divide the passage into 4 parts.   

Para 1&2 The history of the barcode.  Para 3 The popularity of the barcode.  Para 4&5 The functions of barcodes.  Para 6&7 The significance of the barcode. 
Read and explore Read the text carefully and answer the following questions.

1. What do the numbers in paragraph 3 show? It proves the popularity of barcodes around the world.  

2. What are the functions of barcodes? They contain a lot of information, such as where the product comes from, where it has been, its price, expiration and so on.     
3. Which industry benefits most from barcodes and why? Retail.  The unique identification of products at a global level was the key that opened the door to retail as we know it today. 
Further thinking What do you expect the next generation of barcodes to be like?