READING

  Aphantasia: A life without mental images Close your eyes and imagine walking along a sandy beach and then gazing over the horizon as the Sun rises. How clear is the image that springs to mind? Most people can readily conjure images inside their head - known as their mind's eye. But this year scientists have described a condition, aphantasia, in which some people are unable to visualize mental images. Niel Kenmuir, from Lancaster, has always had a blind mind's eye. He knew he was different even in childhood. "My stepfather, when I couldn't sleep, told me to count sheep, and he explained what he meant, I tried to do it and I couldn't," he says. "I couldn't see any sheep jumping over fences, there was nothing to count." Our memories are often tied up in images, think back to a wedding or first day at school. As a result, Niel admits, some aspects of his memory are "terrible", but he is very good at remembering facts. And, like ot...

        Speaking cue card Jan-April 202 1  1.       An expensive activity that you enjoy doing occasion             2.        A tradition in your country   3.       A prize that you received 4.       A good decision you made recently 5.       A time when you changed your opinion 6.       A line that you remember from a poem or song 7.       A person who is very open 8.       A occasion when you wasted your time 9.       A risk you have taken which had a positive result 10.    A volunteering experience you have had 11.    A long car journey you went on 12.    A place visited that has been affected by pollution 13.    A friend or person who is good leader 14. ...