2024 年北京市高考英语真题(阅读理解 C 篇)模拟假说与宇宙建模:从质疑到新探索

2024 年北京市高考英语真题（阅读理解 C 篇）

The notion that we live in someone else's video game is irresistible to many. Searching the term "simulation hypothesis" returns numerous results that debate whether the universe is a computer simulation—a concept that some scientists actually take seriously. Unfortunately, this is not a scientific question. We will probably never know whether it's true. We can, instead, use this idea to advance scientific knowledge.

The 18th-century philosopher Kant argued that the universe ultimately consists of things-in-themselves that are unknowable. While he held the notion that objective reality exists, he said our mind plays a necessary role in structuring and shaping our perceptions. Modern sciences have revealed that our perceptual experience of the world is the result of many stages of processing by sensory systems and cognitive functions in the brain. No one knows exactly what happens within this black box. If empirical experience fails to reveal reality, reasoning won't reveal reality either since it relies on concepts and words that are contingent on our social, cultural and psychological histories. Again, a black box.

So, if we accept that the universe is unknowable, we also accept we will never know if we live in a computer simulation. And then, we can shift our inquiry from "Is the universe a computer simulation?" to "Can we model the universe as a computer simulation?" Modelling reality is what we do. To facilitate our comprehension of the world, we build models based on conceptual metaphors that are familiar to us. In Newton's era, we imagined the universe as a clock. In Einstein's, we uncovered the standard model of particle physics.

Now that we are in the information age, we have new concepts such as the computer, information processing, virtual reality, and simulation. Unsurprisingly, these new concepts inspire us to build new models of the universe. Models are not the reality, however. There is no point in arguing if the universe is a clock, a set of particles or an output of computation. All these models are tools to deal with the unknown and to make discoveries. And the more tools we have, the more effective and insightful we can become.

It can be imagined that comparable to the process of building previous scientific models, developing the "computer simulation" metaphor-based model will also be a hugely rewarding exercise.

题目原文

28.What does the author intend to do by challenging a hypothesis?A. Make an assumption.B. Illustrate an argument.C. Give a suggestion.D. Justify a comparison.

29.What does the phrase "contingent on", underlined in Paragraph 2 probably mean?A. Accepted by.B. Determined by.C. Awakened by.D. Discovered by.

30.As for Kant's argument, the author is \\\\\\.A. appreciativeB. doubtfulC. unconcernedD. disapproving

31.It is implied in this passage that we should \\\\\\.A. compare the current models with the previous onesB. continue exploring the classical models in historyC. stop arguing whether the universe is a simulationD. turn simulations of the universe into realities

二、参考答案与解析

28.答案：C（Give a suggestion）解析：作者挑战“宇宙是否是计算机模拟” 这一假说，指出这并非科学问题、我们无法验证，进而提出建议：不要纠结于 “宇宙是不是模拟”，而应转向 “能否用模拟模型研究宇宙”，用这一想法推动科学发展。因此挑战假说的目的是引出建设性建议。

29.答案：B（Determined by）解析：“since it relies on concepts and words that are contingent on our social, cultural and psychological histories” 意为 “因为推理所依赖的概念与语言，是由我们的社会、文化和心理历史所决定的”，contingent on在此处表示“由…… 决定、依赖于”，与determined by含义一致。

30.答案：A（appreciative）解析：作者引用康德“物自体不可知” 的观点，并用现代科学（感知由大脑加工、推理依赖受历史影响的概念）佐证这一逻辑，说明作者认可康德观点的合理性，态度是赞赏的。

31.答案：C（stop arguing whether the universe is a simulation）解析：文章明确指出“There is no point in arguing if the universe is a clock, a set of particles or an output of computation”，并提出应从 “宇宙是不是模拟” 转向 “能否用模拟模型研究宇宙”，隐含的建议是停止无意义的争论，将模拟作为研究工具而非现实争论的话题。

三、全文汉语翻译

对许多人来说，“我们生活在别人的电子游戏里” 这一想法极具吸引力。搜索 “模拟假说” 这一术语，会出现大量讨论 “宇宙是否是计算机模拟” 的内容 —— 这一概念甚至得到了部分科学家的认真对待。遗憾的是，这并非一个科学问题，我们或许永远无法得知它的真假。不过，我们可以借由这一想法推动科学知识的进步。

18 世纪哲学家康德提出，宇宙最终由不可知的 “物自体” 构成。他认为客观现实是存在的，但我们的心灵在构建和塑造感知的过程中发挥着不可或缺的作用。现代科学已经证实，我们对世界的感知体验，是大脑中感觉系统与认知功能多阶段加工的结果。没人能确切知晓这个 “黑箱” 内部发生了什么。如果实证经验无法揭示现实，推理也无法做到 —— 因为推理所依赖的概念与语言，本就由我们的社会、文化和心理历史所决定。这又是一个 “黑箱”。

因此，如果我们接受“宇宙不可知” 这一点，也就等于接受了 “我们永远无法知道自己是否生活在计算机模拟中”。在此基础上，我们可以将问题从 “宇宙是计算机模拟吗？” 转变为 “我们能否将宇宙建模为计算机模拟？” 构建现实模型本就是人类的行为：为了理解世界，我们会用熟悉的概念隐喻搭建模型。牛顿时代，我们把宇宙想象成一座时钟；爱因斯坦时代，我们发现了粒子物理学的标准模型。

如今身处信息时代，我们拥有了计算机、信息处理、虚拟现实、模拟等新概念。不出意外，这些新概念激励我们构建宇宙的新模型。但模型并非现实本身，争论“宇宙是时钟、粒子集合还是计算输出” 毫无意义。所有这些模型都是应对未知、推动发现的工具 —— 我们拥有的工具越多，就越高效、越有洞察力。

可以想见，就像构建过往科学模型的过程一样，开发基于“计算机模拟” 隐喻的宇宙模型，也将是一项极具价值的探索。

四、文章主旨

原文改编自《科学美国人》发表的文章《不要再问宇宙是否是计算机模拟的》（Stop Asking If the Universe Is a Computer Simulation），

本文围绕“模拟假说” 展开，指出 “宇宙是否是计算机模拟” 是一个无法验证的非科学问题，不必纠结其真假。作者以康德的 “物自体不可知” 观点为佐证，说明人类的感知与推理都受主观因素限制，无法触及绝对现实；进而提出，应将关注点从 “争论宇宙是否为模拟” 转向 “将模拟作为科学模型工具”，借助信息时代的新概念，构建新的宇宙模型，以推动科学探索与认知进步。

五、主题词汇与固定搭配

核心主题词汇

固定搭配与短语

1.take sth. seriously：认真对待某事

2.advance scientific knowledge：推动科学知识进步

3.consist of：由…… 构成

4.play a role in：在…… 中发挥作用

5.rely on：依赖；依靠

6.be contingent on：由…… 决定；依赖于

7.shift one's inquiry from...to...：将探究重点从…… 转向……

8.facilitate one's comprehension of：促进某人对…… 的理解

9.imagine...as...：把…… 想象成……

10.uncover the standard model of...：发现…… 的标准模型

11.inspire sb. to do sth.：激励某人做某事

12.there is no point in doing sth.：做某事毫无意义

13.deal with the unknown：应对未知

14.make discoveries：做出发现

15.comparable to：与…… 相当；比得上

16.be a rewarding exercise：是一项有价值的探索 / 实践

2024 年北京市高考英语真题（阅读理解 C 篇）变式练习

The notion ______ we live in someone else's video game is _________resistible to many. Searching the term "simulation hypothesis" returns numerous results ______ debate whether the universe is a computer simulation—a concept _______ some scientists actually take seriously. Unfortunately, this is not a scientific question. We will ___________(probable) never know whether it's true. We can, instead, use this idea __________( advance) scientific knowledge.

The 18th-century philosopher Kant argued that the universe ultimately consists _____things-in-themselves ______are unknowable. While he held the notion that objective reality exists, he said our mind plays_____ necessary role in __________(structure) and shaping our perceptions. Modern sciences __________(reveal) that our perceptual experience of the world is the result of many stages of processing by sensory systems and cognitive functions in the brain. No one knows exactly______ happens within this black box. If empirical experience fails to reveal reality, _________(reason) won't reveal reality either since it relies _______ concepts and words that are contingent on our social, cultural and psychological histories. Again, a black box.

So, if we accept that the universe is________( knowable), we also accept we will never know if we live in a computer simulation. And then, we can shift our inquiry from "Is the universe a computer simulation?"_____ "Can we model the universe as a computer simulation?" __________(Model) reality is what we do. To facilitate our comprehension of the world, we build models based on conceptual metaphors _____are familiar to us. In Newton's era, we imagined the universe _____ a clock. In Einstein's, we uncovered the standard model of particle physics.

Now that we are in the information age, we have new concepts such as the computer, information processing, virtual reality, and simulation. Unsurprisingly, these new concepts inspire us _________(build) new models of the universe. Models are not the reality, however. There is no point in arguing if the universe is a clock, a set of particles or an output of computation. All these models are tools to deal _____the unknown and to make discoveries. And the more tools we have, the __________effective and insightful we can become.

_______can be imagined that _________(compare) to the process of building previous scientific models, developing the "computer simulation" metaphor-based model will also be a__________( huge) rewarding exercise.