1. 1
Forensic Science
I. Forensic science is the combination of many different fields of science, including
anthropology, biology, chemistry, engineering, genetics, medicine, pathology, phonetics,
psychiatry, and toxicology.
II. The related term criminalistics refers more specifically to the scientific collection and
analysis of physical evidence in criminal cases. This entails the analysis of many kinds of
materials, including blood, fibers, bullets, and fingerprints. Many law enforcement agencies work
with crime labs that do scientific studies of evidence. The largest of these labs is run by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
III. Modern forensic science originated in the late nineteenth century, when European
criminal investigators began to use fingerprinting and other identification techniques to solve
crimes. As the field of science expanded throughout the twentieth century, its application to legal
issues became more and more common.
IV. Today, many law enforcement agencies employ a forensic pathologist who finds out the
causes of a sudden or an unexpected death. Forensic toxicologists, who study the presence of
poisons or drugs in the victim, often help these forensic pathologists. Forensic dentists analyze
dental evidence to identify human remains and the origin of bite marks. Therefore, these three
fields of medicine are very significant in solving murders.
V. Since its establishment in 1932, the FBI Laboratory has been a world leader in the
scientific analysis of physical evidence related to crime. Located in the J. Edgar Hoover FBI
Building in Washington, D.C., the laboratory provides a wide range of free forensic services to
US law enforcement agencies.
VI. One of the laboratory's major sections, the Document Section examines paper documents,
ink, shoe and tire tread designs, and other forms of evidence related to a wide variety of crimes
such as kidnapping, forgery and money laundering. It also performs linguistic analysis of
blackmail documents to identify who has written it. It also evaluates the validity and danger of
written threats. Another important section is the laboratory’s Computer Analysis and Response
Section. They recover encrypted information from computer systems and use it as evidence that
is crucial to the prosecution of White-Collar Crime.
VII. The FBI’s mental health and psychology professionals have contributed a great deal to the
legal understanding of issues such as the reliability of eyewitness testimony, responsibility for
criminal behavior, and the process of decision making in juries. These professionals are people
with a medical degree, such as psychiatrists, neurologists, and neuropsychologists, as well as
individuals without a medical degree, such as psychologists.
VIII. Mental health professionals are frequently consulted in criminal cases to help understand
the suspect’s state of mind. Their input may also be very important for judges in deciding
whether to send a person to an institution because of mental illness or to prison. Also, in family
courts, they assess brain damage in children who have been physically abused.
2. 2
1. The word entails in paragraph II is closest in meaning to---.
a) refuses b) prevents c) involves d) harms
2. As we can infer from paragraph III, before modern forensic science, ---.
a) fingerprinting helped solve dozens of crimes
b) science was advanced enough to solve crimes
c) science took a smaller part in solving crimes
d) there weren’t many crimes
3. According to paragraph IV, a forensic toxicologist, dentist, and a pathologist work together -.
a) to analyze dental evidence c) to help understand how the crime happened
b) to find out the murderer’s place of birth d) to analyze the poisons in victim’s blood
4. According to the passage, the FBI Laboratory ---.
a) provides limited forensic services to US law enforcement agencies
b) used to be located in Washington, D.C.
c) is one of the average crime labs in the US
d) is divided into sections for different types of crime
5. The word recover in paragraph VI could best be replaced by ---.
a) obtain b) destroy c) predict d) win
6. According to paragraph VI, which of the following is NOT one of the duties of the
Document Section in the FBI?
a) Examining traces left by kidnappers
b) Analyzing threat letters
c) Recovering encrypted information from computer systems
d) Examining evidence of money laundering
7. What is the main idea of paragraph VII?
a) Mental health doctors and psychologists accuse witnesses of street crime.
b) Juries should get advice from mental health doctors and psychologists in crime cases.
c) Psychologists play a less important part in crime cases than neurologists.
d) Mental health doctors and psychologists have played a valuable part in crime cases.
8. The word input in paragraph VIII could best be replaced by ---.
a) opinions b) lateness c) protests d) habits
9. Which of the following is NOT one of the duties of mental health professionals and
psychologists who work with the FBI?
a) Examining criminals’ thinking patterns c) Examining abused children
b) Helping witnesses give accurate reports d) Analyzing if a criminal is mentally healthy
10. What was the author’s main purpose in writing this passage?
a) To help people become familiar with the FBI
b) To introduce a brief history of the FBI and its employees
c) To inform people about fields in forensic science and the FBI Forensic Laboratory
d) To list types of crimes from all around the world
KEY: 1. C 2. C 3. C 4. D 5. A 6. C 7. D 8. A 9. B 10. C
