We already have iris(虹膜) and fingerprint scanning but noses could be an even better method of identification, says a study from the University of Bath, UK.
The researchers scanned noses in 3D and characterized  them. They found 6 main nose types: Roman, Greek, Nubian, hawk, snub and turn-up. Since they are hard to hide, the study says, noses would work well for identification.
The researchers say noses have been overlooked in the growing field of biometrics, studies into ways of identifying distinguishing characters of people. "Noses are out standing facial features and yet their use as a biometric has been largely unexplored," said the University of Bath's Dr Adrian Evans. "Ears have been looked at in detail, eyes have been looked at in terms of iris recognition but the nose has been ignored."
The researchers used a system called PhotoFace, developed by researchers at the University of the West of England in Bristol, for the 3D scans.
Several measurements by which noses can be recognised were identified and the team developed recognition software based on these parameters(范围)
" This initial work is nowhere as good as iris identification but the nose has pros and cons," said Dr Evans.
There's no magic biometric that solves all your problems. Irises are a powerful biometric but can be difficult to get accurately and can be easily covered by eyelids or glasses. People can easily cover up their ears, with their hair for example.
"Of course you can have a broken nose or wear a false nose or have plastic surgery but to have nose surgery to change your identity is fairly obvious. Irises are very good for recognition but you can put in dilation drops which change the iris completely. Not all techniques are reliable," he said.
The research is based on a study of 40 noses and the data base has now been expanded to 160 for further tests to see if the software can pick out people from a larger group and distinguish between relatives.
Dr Evans hopes the method can be proven to be effective on this larger sample. "The technique certainly shows potential, perhaps to be used in combination with other identification methods," he said.
57. Where can you probably read this article?
A.    In a newspaper about education.
B.     In a newspaper about science
C.     In a newspaper about software
D.    In a newspaper about dress-up
58.  Which is true according to the passage?
A.    Dr Adrian Evans works at the University of the West of England in Bristol,
B.     The researchers used a system called Photoshop for the 3D scans.
C.     The research is based on a study of 160 noses.
D.    The research team developed their own recognition software.
59. The word overlooked in the third paragraph possibly means:
A. well-studied          B. carefully-scanned
C. wholly-recognized     D. carelessly-studied
60. We can infer from the last three paragraphs that_________.
A.    The consequence of the method remains to be seen
B.     Dr Evans is sure that the method can be used to pick out uncles and nephews.
C.     More new soft wares will be developed to do the research.
D.    This method can still be used if your nose is broken,