Read again and match phrases A-F to gaps 1-5. There is one extra phrase you do not need.
A which may not always be correct
B or fails to see something that is there
C to help us better understand a situation
D but we all know that they don’t really
E and something else when we continue to stare at it
F so that we don’t worry about unimportant details
If you stand at the end of a train track and look down it, what do
you see? The further down the tracks you look the closer the two
tracks seem to be. Eventually, they appear to touch, 1).................
Our eyes are simply playing tricks on us.
So, why don't our eyes always see the world as it really is? Well, simply because seeing is a complicated process!
Our eyes work together with our brain to 'understand' what we are seeing. Because our eyes take in images all
day long, our brain tries to help us to make them simpler 2)................ Our brain then 'learns' how to see things a
certain way, 3).......... ! When we watch TV, for example, our brain has learnt to see movement, but in reality we
are seeing a series of individual images very quickly. This is why we can have so much fun with optical illusions!
Our brain 'sees' things that aren't really there, 4).................
Optical illusions can teach us some important lessons about life. Firstly, there may be more to a
situation than we see at first, just as we may see one thing when we first look at a picture, 5)...............
Also, there is often more than one way to see things. It's okay if you and your friend
have a different opinion about something, for example. You are just seeing things
in a different way, that's all!
