《2026年水木金卷高考模拟试卷精编英语》

C
Zero has had an amazing journey through history. Ancient Greek thinkers like Aristotle didn't believe zero could exist—they thought "nothing" wasn't a real concept. Meanwhile in India, mathematicians were already using zero as a real number. Surprisingly, Europe was very slow to accept zero—for hundreds of years, many Europeans thought it was dangerous or even evil! It was only when businesses started using zero in their accounting systems that people finally saw how useful it could be. Later, zero became essential for important scientific discoveries like calculus(微积分).
Why was zero so controversial? The answer lies in how we think. Numbers like 1, 2, or 3 are easy because we can see and count one apple, two dogs, three books. But zero represents nothing at all, which makes it harder to understand. As one philosopher joked, "Nobody goes to the store to buy zero fish!" Even children find zero confusing. Scientists have found that babies can notice simple math errors (like $2 + 1 = 4$), but they don't react when things completely disappear (like $2 - 2 = 0$). This shows that understanding zero requires abstract thinking.
But is this difficulty just a matter of learning—or does it reflect something deeper in our brain's design? Scientists have discovered special brain cells that only respond to "nothing"—they call these "zero neurons". Some of these cells only activate(激活) when there's truly nothing there, while others respond in order—strongest for zero, then less for one, even less for two, and so on. This suggests that our brains treat zero as a unique concept and may place it at the very start of our mental number line. Interestingly, when humans see the symbol "0", brain scans show activation in areas also responsible for perceiving physical emptiness. These findings imply that our understanding of zero may be rooted in the brain's mechanisms for detecting absence—not presence.
This connection between zero and absence raises deeper questions about how our minds process "nothing". In daily life, we're much better at noticing what's there than what's missing. For example, spotting extra letters in a sentence is easier than noticing missing ones. Yet absence still matters: a friend who doesn't show up, a puzzle piece that's gone... This kind of awareness demands more cognitive(认知的) effort and may rely on the same brain systems that process zero. In this way, the once-feared idea of zero may help us explore not just mathematics—but the nature of consciousness itself.
46. How did zero eventually gain acceptance in Europe after facing initial resistance?
A. Through theoretical arguments by mathematicians.
B. By proving its practical value in business accounting.
C. Through formal recognition by some religious leaders.
D. By showing its necessity for scientific discoveries.
47. Why does the author mention "Nobody goes to the store to buy zero fish" in Paragraph 2?
A. To explain how businesses refused to use zero.
B. To demonstrate the difficulty in understanding zero.
C. To highlight cultural differences in understanding numbers.
D. To show the humor in abstract philosophical debate.
48. The term "zero neurons" in Paragraph 3 might refer to "".
A. special cells that activate only for nothingness
B. brain cells that respond to numbers equally
C. neurons responsible for counting objects
D. cells that process mathematical symbols
49. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Mathematics is the key to understanding the mind.
B. Consciousness studies will replace mathematical models.
C. The brain normally avoids processing things that are not present.
D. Studying zero may uncover deeper truths about human awareness.
50. Which could be the best title for the passage?
A. The Mathematical Evolution
B. How Brain Processes Mathematics
C. Zero's Journey Through Human Brain
D. A Scientific Study of Children

答案： 46.B 细节理解题。题干意为：在遭遇最初的抵制后，0最终是如何在欧洲获得认可的？根据第一段中“It was only when businesses started using zero in their accounting systems that people finally saw how useful it could be.”可知，只有当企业开始在其会计系统中使用0时，人们才最终看到0的作用。由此可知，0通过证明其在商业会计中的实用价值获得了认可。故选B。
47.B 推理判断题。题干意为：作者为什么在第二段提到“没有人去商店买0条鱼”？根据第二段中“zero represents nothing at all， which makes it harder to understand”可知，0代表什么都没有，这使得它更难理解。由此可推知，提到“没有人去商店买0条鱼”是为了证明理解0的困难。故选B。
48.A 名词指代题。题干意为：第三段中的术语“zero neurons”可能指的是“_______”。根据该术语所在句“Scientists have discovered special brain cells that only respond to ‘nothing’—they call these ‘zero neurons’.”可知，“zero neurons”指代“只对‘虚无’起反应的特殊脑细胞”。故选A。
49.D 推理判断题。题干意为：从最后一段中可以推断出什么？根据最后一段中“In this way， the once-feared idea of zero may help us explore... the nature of consciousness itself.”可知，通过研究0，曾经令人恐惧的0的概念可能会帮助我们探索意识本身的本质。由此可推知，研究0可能会帮助我们揭示关于人类意识的更深层次的真相。故选D。
50.C 标题归纳题。题干意为：这篇文章的最佳标题可能是什么？通读全文，并根据第一段中“Zero has had an amazing journey through history.”可知，文章主要介绍了0从被人类质疑到被接受的过程，以及它在人类认知和大脑处理机制中的重要性。所以，C项“0在人类大脑中的旅程”可能是本文的最佳标题。故选C。