Beep! Beep! Barcode(条形码) technology makes it faster and easier to buy things in stores. You've1seen the black-and-white zebra stripes(条纹）on every product. It has a history of 
years!
On a Sunday afternoon in 1971, IBM engineer George Laurer2 a code that could be printed on food labels(商标). 1It became the basis for the Universal Product Code, which was3by many companies starting in 1973. Time has proved(证明) it to be a4 invention. Today, barcodes are used over 6 million times every day.
What5does a barcode contain (包含)? The place the product comes from, its price, expiration date (过期时间) and so on. It can also help record the 6 of products. For example, if there are10 boxes of milk and a customer buys one, it will be recorded 7the store owner knows there are nine boxes left. In the 1980s, libraries started using barcodes to keep records of their8.
The next generation(一代) of barcodes, such as QR codes, can9 more information. They can tell people10a product has allergens(过敏原) or it is organic(有机的)or not. This provides people with a greater level of trust in the products they buy.
