Many children have stared out of a car window at night to see the moon gleaming up above. Some have also noticed that the moon seems to stay in the same place, even if the car is driving forward. Trees, cars, buildings, and all the other objects pass by in the blink of an eye, but not the moon. It seems as if the moon just follows the moving car.
This is an optical illusion. The moon isn¡¦t actually following anyone. It¡¦s simply too far away for people to judge any change in distance as a car moves. With smaller objects that are much closer to the car¡¦s position, the angle from which we view them changes rapidly as they are approached and passed. However, the distance between people on Earth and the moon is so vast in comparison that the shift in the angle and distance is basically imperceptible .
Another factor that makes the moon appear to stay in place is that there are usually no objects of comparable size visible in the sky. The moon usually occupies a large portion of the sky all by itself. Without a good frame of reference, it¡¦s very difficult for the human eye to make accurate judgments about size and distance.
Another optical illusion involving the moon occurs when it is closer to the horizon. You may have noticed that the moon always looks bigger around dusk or dawn. When the moon is near the horizon, our brain can compare it to buildings or mountains. At these times, it seems much larger than when it is floating high above us in the sky. The truth is that the moon never changes its size.
1. What is the reason the moon appears to follow people in a car?
(A) The time.
(B) The angle of vision.
(C) The direction of the car.
(D) The speed at which the car is driving.
2. What can we learn about the moon from the passage?
(A) Its position never actually changes throughout the night.
(B) It blocks everything in the sky when it¡¦s directly overhead.
(C) It cannot be seen with the naked eye when it first appears in the sky.
(D) Its actual size remains the same whether it hangs high or lies near the horizon.
3. Which of the following best concludes the passage?
(A) Seeing is not believing.
(B) Practice makes perfect.
(C) Time and tide wait for no man.
(D) A picture is worth a thousand words.
µª®×: 1.B 2.D 3.A
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