Read the following passage from A Catechism of Familiar Things.

The telescope is an optical instrument, which serves for discovering and viewing distant objects, either directly by glasses, or by reflection. The honor of the invention is much disputed; it is certain, however, that the celebrated Galileo was the first who improved the telescope so as to answer astronomical purposes. The name is formed from two Greek words, one signifying far, the other to observe.

Paraphrase the passage above.

The telescope is a device that uses lenses or mirrors to help us see faraway objects. There is debate over who was the original inventor, but Galileo was the first to make improvements that allowed it to be used for studying the stars. The word "telescope" comes from two Greek words, one meaning far and the other meaning observe.

The passage is discussing the telescope, which is an optical tool used to see faraway objects either by using glasses or through reflection. There is a debate about who should be credited with inventing the telescope, but it is known that Galileo was the first to enhance it for astronomical use. The word "telescope" is derived from two Greek words that mean observing things that are far away.

The passage is talking about the telescope, an optical device used to see faraway objects. It mentions that there is some controversy regarding who actually invented the telescope, but Galileo is known for improving it to be used for astronomy. The word "telescope" comes from two Greek words that mean "to observe" and "far" respectively.