Question

sometimes the mind plays tricks, and sometimes people see only what they wish to see. amateur astronomers who inspected mars landscape photos made a startling observation. in one photograph, they pointed out a woman seated on a rock with her arms extended. how could this be, and how was she able to breathe in the martian atmosphere? the answer was simple: the image was simply of martian rocks, distorted through shadows.
how does the story about the martian photograph relate to the authors thesis?
1 it demonstrates that the martian photograph is a fake and that there is no life on mars.
2 it supports the idea that amateurs should defer to professionals in important matters.
3 it is a real-life example supporting the idea that people see what they wish to see.

Explanation:

The author's thesis is that sometimes the mind plays tricks and people see only what they wish to see. The story of the Martian photograph, where people misinterpreted a Martian rock as a woman due to their expectations, is a real - life example that supports this idea. Option 1 is incorrect as the story doesn't show the photo is fake or that there's no life on Mars. Option 2 is incorrect as the story is about how people's perception is influenced by their wishes, not about amateurs deferring to professionals.

Answer:

1. It is a real - life example supporting the idea that people see what they wish to see.