Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 3...

Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 31 to 40.

        From October 2025, the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) begins replacing passport stamps with biometric records that tie a travel document to a person’s identity. By digitising entries and exits, authorities seek to modernise external-border management, curb identity fraud, and spot overstayers against the 90/180-day rule. [I] While the rollout is gradual, the system’s core logic is simple: automate checks at scale while retaining human oversight when needed. For first-time users, registration takes longer; repeat crossings are designed to be brisker as data are reused.

        At an initial registration, non-EU travellers scan their passport, enrol fingerprints and submit a facial image; on departure, details are verified against the EES database to confirm lawful stay. Subsequent journeys typically require facial verification only, since the system already holds the prints template. Children under 12 are registered but only photographed; no fees apply for EES. [II] Although the process is standardised, Member States can sequence adoption at their border points, provided they keep to the overall EES timeline.

        Checks occur at international airports, seaports, rail terminals and road crossings across the Schengen area. Particularities apply on the UK side of the Channel: at Dover, Folkestone (Eurotunnel) and London St Pancras (Eurostar), French officers conduct EES registration on departure from Britain. [III] A staggered start prioritises freight and coach traffic first, with passenger vehicles following later; operators emphasise kiosk assistance and routing redesigns. Where congestion spikes, officials retain a queue-busting contingency, temporarily easing non-essential steps so flows can recover before full checks resume.

        The real stress-test will coincide with peak holiday periods in 2026 as the system reaches full enforcement. If implemented as scheduled, ETIAS will oblige visa-exempt travellers to secure pre-travel authorisation for a €20 fee. [IV] Framed as a precursor to border crossing, that authorisation lasts three years or until passport expiry. In tandem, EES should cut stamp fraud and make overstay detection routine; yet the human factor – wayfinding, accessibility, staff proficiency – will still decide whether travellers experience the border as friction-light or needlessly labyrinthine.

(Adapted from “What the EU’s new biometric border rules mean for non-EU travellers”, France 24, Oct 9, 2025)

Question 31. The word precursor in paragraph 4 mostly means ______.

A. broadly derivative                                        B. immediately preceding

C. faintly analogous                                        D. loosely subordinate

Question 32. Where in the passage does the following sentence best fit?

This staggered start is designed to prevent bottlenecks while systems and staff acclimatise.
A. [I]                        B. [II]                                C. [III]                        D. [IV]

Question 33. Which of the following best summarises paragraph 1?

A. The EU replaces stamps with biometrics to automate checks while introducing phased deployment.

B. An experimental scheme replaces border guards entirely with kiosks across the EU.

C. The system centralises visas and abolishes the 90/180-day limitation for visitors.

D. Passport stamping remains but is supplemented with optional digital tokens for pilots.

Question 34. What must first-time entrants provide at EES?

A. Passport scan only                                B. Passport, fingerprints, face

C. Face scan at exit                                        D. Visa and boarding pass

Question 35. According to paragraph 3, EES registration at Dover and Folkestone initially applies to ______.

A. frequent motorists using dedicated automatic gates exclusively this winter season

B. freight and coach traffic from October before private cars follow

C. all private cars provided drivers pre-enrol via a mobile application

D. Eurostar foot passengers only until airport kiosks become available

Question 36. What happens for children under twelve during EES registration?

A. They skip all capture steps and are waved through without verification.

B. They are registered but only have a photograph taken, not fingerprints.

C. They must provide both iris scans and fingerprints under parental consent.

D. They enrol fingerprints but may refuse facial images if accompanied.

Question 37. The phrase queue-busting contingency in paragraph 3 refers to ______.

A. suspended checks                                B. extra kiosks

C. mobile teams                                        D. priority lanes

Question 38. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. Repeat travellers should clear borders faster because the system reuses previously captured biometric templates.

B. ETIAS replaces EES entirely, meaning biometric capture at borders will no longer be necessary.

C. UK departure points will permanently exempt private vehicles from any EES processing obligations.

D. Children’s data are excluded from EES, implying families must re-queue at every crossing indefinitely.

Question 39. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?

Although the process is standardised, Member States can sequence adoption at their border points, provided they keep to the overall EES timeline.

A. Because the procedure is standardized, all border points must adopt EES simultaneously across every Member State to ensure uniform implementation.

B. Even with uniform procedure, countries may roll out the system at different border posts in stages, meeting the shared EES deadline.

C. Member States may design distinct processes and ignore the EES timeline if local conditions require flexibility for operational readiness.

D. The EES timeline applies only to airports; land and sea borders can adopt whenever they choose without coordination requirements.

Question 40. Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. EES digitises border control now, ETIAS adds pre-travel clearance later; gradual rollout aims to modernise checks while managing queues.

B. The EU intends to abolish all physical border infrastructure and move to remote verification only.

C. Biometrics are optional in Europe, but travellers may choose kiosks for faster throughput if available.

D. The systems focus solely on British travellers, leaving other non-EU visitors unaffected.