大学入学共通テスト（英語） 過去問
令和6年度（2024年度）追・再試験
問39 (＜旧課程＞英語リーディング（第6問） 問1)
問題文
次の英文を読み、最も適当な選択肢を選びなさい。
Your English teacher has assigned this article to you. You need to prepare notes to give a short talk.
Belief Perseverance
There may be some out−of−date rules at your school. If you ask your teachers to update these rules， your ideas may be rejected. Of course， most of their objections will be reasonable， but some may be caused by belief perseverance， the psychological characteristic of maintaining an existing belief despite any new information. Although this tendency itself is neither good nor bad， it may cause conflicts ranging from personal problems to social phenomena.
A study published in 1980 by Craig A. Anderson and his colleagues describes this human tendency. In the first stage of their experiment， the participants were presented with evidence that led them to conclude that firefighters who were willing to take risks performed their jobs better. Surprisingly， even after the participants were told that the evidence was false， they were reluctant to change their conclusions. Why is it difficult to change our beliefs？ This is partly because we have confirmation bias， a psychological tendency to look for information consistent with our existing beliefs. Also， in some cases， the more others attempt to prove our beliefs wrong， the more firmly we stick to them， which is called the backfire effect.
The case of Ignaz Philip Semmelweis demonstrates belief perseverance in one group in society. He was a 19th−century physician who wondered why more women died from a fever after giving birth in one place than in another. His data apparently indicated that handwashing could reduce the number of occurrences of the deadly fever. However， at that time， handwashing was not common among doctors. His potentially life−saving idea was ignored by the medical community， and many doctors rejected it and even harassed him. Semmelweis’ claim was eventually accepted long after his death. This episode demonstrates how a group of people with belief perseverance can become aggressive towards innovators and ground−breaking ideas. This social reaction was named the Semmelweis reflex after this incident.
Understanding belief perseverance can give us insights into the ways people behave. Imagine that you want to study abroad， and your family strongly opposes it because they believe that the city you plan to live in is dangerous. Even after showing them data on the city’s crime rate， you may find out that your efforts end up only adding fuel to the fire. If you encounter this backfire effect， an alternative approach might be needed. You could ask your teacher to speak with your family on your behalf， taking advantage of a related behavior that people tend to trust the opinions of an authority.
If someone presents you with hard−to−believe information， be careful not to reject it immediately. If your internal voice warns you not to act on that information， it is time to remind yourself of belief perseverance. To be stubborn may not be good for you. However， in many cases， the persistence of existing beliefs is desirable or even necessary these days. Remember that the Internet conveys not only accurate but also unreliable information. Belief perseverance can also protect you from potentially fake information. In other words， take time to find out more before accepting new information. After all， we humans have developed belief perseverance over time to ensure our survival. Understanding human nature is one of the keys to keeping your life balanced.
Your notes：
Belief Perseverance（BP）
BP：
● is a tendency to maintain an existing belief despite any new information.
● can be（ 39 ）.
Outline by paragraph
1. Introduction to BP
2. Experiment and explanation
3.（ 40 ）
4.（ 41 ）
5. Final remarks
Stories mentioned in the article
● The firefighters story shows us that（ 42 ）.
● The Semmelweis story tells us that even a truly innovative idea with sufficient evidence can be initially rejected.
Practical lessons from the article
Learning about the nature of human psychology helps us to（ 43 ）.
Choose the best option for（ 39 ）.
Your English teacher has assigned this article to you. You need to prepare notes to give a short talk.
Belief Perseverance
There may be some out−of−date rules at your school. If you ask your teachers to update these rules， your ideas may be rejected. Of course， most of their objections will be reasonable， but some may be caused by belief perseverance， the psychological characteristic of maintaining an existing belief despite any new information. Although this tendency itself is neither good nor bad， it may cause conflicts ranging from personal problems to social phenomena.
A study published in 1980 by Craig A. Anderson and his colleagues describes this human tendency. In the first stage of their experiment， the participants were presented with evidence that led them to conclude that firefighters who were willing to take risks performed their jobs better. Surprisingly， even after the participants were told that the evidence was false， they were reluctant to change their conclusions. Why is it difficult to change our beliefs？ This is partly because we have confirmation bias， a psychological tendency to look for information consistent with our existing beliefs. Also， in some cases， the more others attempt to prove our beliefs wrong， the more firmly we stick to them， which is called the backfire effect.
The case of Ignaz Philip Semmelweis demonstrates belief perseverance in one group in society. He was a 19th−century physician who wondered why more women died from a fever after giving birth in one place than in another. His data apparently indicated that handwashing could reduce the number of occurrences of the deadly fever. However， at that time， handwashing was not common among doctors. His potentially life−saving idea was ignored by the medical community， and many doctors rejected it and even harassed him. Semmelweis’ claim was eventually accepted long after his death. This episode demonstrates how a group of people with belief perseverance can become aggressive towards innovators and ground−breaking ideas. This social reaction was named the Semmelweis reflex after this incident.
Understanding belief perseverance can give us insights into the ways people behave. Imagine that you want to study abroad， and your family strongly opposes it because they believe that the city you plan to live in is dangerous. Even after showing them data on the city’s crime rate， you may find out that your efforts end up only adding fuel to the fire. If you encounter this backfire effect， an alternative approach might be needed. You could ask your teacher to speak with your family on your behalf， taking advantage of a related behavior that people tend to trust the opinions of an authority.
If someone presents you with hard−to−believe information， be careful not to reject it immediately. If your internal voice warns you not to act on that information， it is time to remind yourself of belief perseverance. To be stubborn may not be good for you. However， in many cases， the persistence of existing beliefs is desirable or even necessary these days. Remember that the Internet conveys not only accurate but also unreliable information. Belief perseverance can also protect you from potentially fake information. In other words， take time to find out more before accepting new information. After all， we humans have developed belief perseverance over time to ensure our survival. Understanding human nature is one of the keys to keeping your life balanced.
Your notes：
Belief Perseverance（BP）
BP：
● is a tendency to maintain an existing belief despite any new information.
● can be（ 39 ）.
Outline by paragraph
1. Introduction to BP
2. Experiment and explanation
3.（ 40 ）
4.（ 41 ）
5. Final remarks
Stories mentioned in the article
● The firefighters story shows us that（ 42 ）.
● The Semmelweis story tells us that even a truly innovative idea with sufficient evidence can be initially rejected.
Practical lessons from the article
Learning about the nature of human psychology helps us to（ 43 ）.
Choose the best option for（ 39 ）.
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問題
大学入学共通テスト（英語）試験 令和6年度（2024年度）追・再試験 問39（＜旧課程＞英語リーディング（第6問） 問1） （訂正依頼・報告はこちら）
次の英文を読み、最も適当な選択肢を選びなさい。
Your English teacher has assigned this article to you. You need to prepare notes to give a short talk.
Belief Perseverance
There may be some out−of−date rules at your school. If you ask your teachers to update these rules， your ideas may be rejected. Of course， most of their objections will be reasonable， but some may be caused by belief perseverance， the psychological characteristic of maintaining an existing belief despite any new information. Although this tendency itself is neither good nor bad， it may cause conflicts ranging from personal problems to social phenomena.
A study published in 1980 by Craig A. Anderson and his colleagues describes this human tendency. In the first stage of their experiment， the participants were presented with evidence that led them to conclude that firefighters who were willing to take risks performed their jobs better. Surprisingly， even after the participants were told that the evidence was false， they were reluctant to change their conclusions. Why is it difficult to change our beliefs？ This is partly because we have confirmation bias， a psychological tendency to look for information consistent with our existing beliefs. Also， in some cases， the more others attempt to prove our beliefs wrong， the more firmly we stick to them， which is called the backfire effect.
The case of Ignaz Philip Semmelweis demonstrates belief perseverance in one group in society. He was a 19th−century physician who wondered why more women died from a fever after giving birth in one place than in another. His data apparently indicated that handwashing could reduce the number of occurrences of the deadly fever. However， at that time， handwashing was not common among doctors. His potentially life−saving idea was ignored by the medical community， and many doctors rejected it and even harassed him. Semmelweis’ claim was eventually accepted long after his death. This episode demonstrates how a group of people with belief perseverance can become aggressive towards innovators and ground−breaking ideas. This social reaction was named the Semmelweis reflex after this incident.
Understanding belief perseverance can give us insights into the ways people behave. Imagine that you want to study abroad， and your family strongly opposes it because they believe that the city you plan to live in is dangerous. Even after showing them data on the city’s crime rate， you may find out that your efforts end up only adding fuel to the fire. If you encounter this backfire effect， an alternative approach might be needed. You could ask your teacher to speak with your family on your behalf， taking advantage of a related behavior that people tend to trust the opinions of an authority.
If someone presents you with hard−to−believe information， be careful not to reject it immediately. If your internal voice warns you not to act on that information， it is time to remind yourself of belief perseverance. To be stubborn may not be good for you. However， in many cases， the persistence of existing beliefs is desirable or even necessary these days. Remember that the Internet conveys not only accurate but also unreliable information. Belief perseverance can also protect you from potentially fake information. In other words， take time to find out more before accepting new information. After all， we humans have developed belief perseverance over time to ensure our survival. Understanding human nature is one of the keys to keeping your life balanced.
Your notes：
Belief Perseverance（BP）
BP：
● is a tendency to maintain an existing belief despite any new information.
● can be（ 39 ）.
Outline by paragraph
1. Introduction to BP
2. Experiment and explanation
3.（ 40 ）
4.（ 41 ）
5. Final remarks
Stories mentioned in the article
● The firefighters story shows us that（ 42 ）.
● The Semmelweis story tells us that even a truly innovative idea with sufficient evidence can be initially rejected.
Practical lessons from the article
Learning about the nature of human psychology helps us to（ 43 ）.
Choose the best option for（ 39 ）.
Your English teacher has assigned this article to you. You need to prepare notes to give a short talk.
Belief Perseverance
There may be some out−of−date rules at your school. If you ask your teachers to update these rules， your ideas may be rejected. Of course， most of their objections will be reasonable， but some may be caused by belief perseverance， the psychological characteristic of maintaining an existing belief despite any new information. Although this tendency itself is neither good nor bad， it may cause conflicts ranging from personal problems to social phenomena.
A study published in 1980 by Craig A. Anderson and his colleagues describes this human tendency. In the first stage of their experiment， the participants were presented with evidence that led them to conclude that firefighters who were willing to take risks performed their jobs better. Surprisingly， even after the participants were told that the evidence was false， they were reluctant to change their conclusions. Why is it difficult to change our beliefs？ This is partly because we have confirmation bias， a psychological tendency to look for information consistent with our existing beliefs. Also， in some cases， the more others attempt to prove our beliefs wrong， the more firmly we stick to them， which is called the backfire effect.
The case of Ignaz Philip Semmelweis demonstrates belief perseverance in one group in society. He was a 19th−century physician who wondered why more women died from a fever after giving birth in one place than in another. His data apparently indicated that handwashing could reduce the number of occurrences of the deadly fever. However， at that time， handwashing was not common among doctors. His potentially life−saving idea was ignored by the medical community， and many doctors rejected it and even harassed him. Semmelweis’ claim was eventually accepted long after his death. This episode demonstrates how a group of people with belief perseverance can become aggressive towards innovators and ground−breaking ideas. This social reaction was named the Semmelweis reflex after this incident.
Understanding belief perseverance can give us insights into the ways people behave. Imagine that you want to study abroad， and your family strongly opposes it because they believe that the city you plan to live in is dangerous. Even after showing them data on the city’s crime rate， you may find out that your efforts end up only adding fuel to the fire. If you encounter this backfire effect， an alternative approach might be needed. You could ask your teacher to speak with your family on your behalf， taking advantage of a related behavior that people tend to trust the opinions of an authority.
If someone presents you with hard−to−believe information， be careful not to reject it immediately. If your internal voice warns you not to act on that information， it is time to remind yourself of belief perseverance. To be stubborn may not be good for you. However， in many cases， the persistence of existing beliefs is desirable or even necessary these days. Remember that the Internet conveys not only accurate but also unreliable information. Belief perseverance can also protect you from potentially fake information. In other words， take time to find out more before accepting new information. After all， we humans have developed belief perseverance over time to ensure our survival. Understanding human nature is one of the keys to keeping your life balanced.
Your notes：
Belief Perseverance（BP）
BP：
● is a tendency to maintain an existing belief despite any new information.
● can be（ 39 ）.
Outline by paragraph
1. Introduction to BP
2. Experiment and explanation
3.（ 40 ）
4.（ 41 ）
5. Final remarks
Stories mentioned in the article
● The firefighters story shows us that（ 42 ）.
● The Semmelweis story tells us that even a truly innovative idea with sufficient evidence can be initially rejected.
Practical lessons from the article
Learning about the nature of human psychology helps us to（ 43 ）.
Choose the best option for（ 39 ）.
- a barrier which stops people from expressing their opinions
- a cause of positive or negative outcomes for anyone
- a major disadvantage for people who are easily convinced
- an obstacle preventing us from keeping our beliefs strong
正解！素晴らしいです
残念...
この過去問の解説 （3件）
01
BPについて、正しいものを問われています。
選択肢和訳
・人々が意見を表現するのをやめさせる障壁となる
・だれにとっても良い・悪い結果を引き起こす
・簡単に納得させられる人々にとってよくある不利なこと
・強い信念を持ち続けることを妨げる障害物である
第一段落の太字以降にBPの概念について説明があります。
新しい情報に対して発生する、心理学的な信念に関する特徴であり、それ自体に良しあしはありませんが、個人的な問題から社会現象まで対立を引き起こしうるものだと記されています。
よって、この中で適切なものは、
a cause of positive or negative outcomes for anyone
になります。
不正解です。
正解です。
不正解です。
不正解です。
参考になった数0
この解説の修正を提案する
02
問の訳は以下の通りです。
信念の持続性（BP）
● 新しい情報があるにもかかわらず、既存の信念を維持しようとする傾向である。
● （ 39 ）となり得る。
（ 39 ）に最もふさわしい選択肢を選べ。
belief perseveranceについては、本文一段落目に記載があります。
訳は以下の通りです。
信念の固執
あなたの学校には、時代遅れの規則があるかもしれません。教師たちにこれらの規則の更新を依頼しても、あなたの考えは却下されるかもしれません。もちろん、教師たちの反対意見のほとんどは妥当なものですが、その一部は、新しい情報にもかかわらず既存の信念を維持するという心理的特徴である「信念の固執」によって引き起こされているかもしれません。この傾向自体は良いものでも悪いものでもありませんが、個人的な問題から社会現象に至るまで、さまざまな葛藤の原因となる可能性があります。
文章を参考に、各問を確認しましょう。
訳:人々が意見を表明するのを妨げる障壁
第一段落を見ると
If you ask your teachers to update these rules， your ideas may be rejected.～ the psychological characteristic of maintaining an existing belief despite any new information
(先生方にこれらのルールを更新するようお願いしても、あなたの提案は却下されるかもしれません。～新しい情報があっても既存の信念を維持しようとする心理的特性)
と記載があります。
あなたの提案を却下されているので、この選択肢が正解のように見えます。
しかし、そのあとの文章にthe psychological characteristic of maintaining an existing belief despite any new information.(新しい情報にもかかわらず既存の信念を維持するという心理的特徴である「信念の固執」によって引き起こされているかもしれません。)
とあり、
Belief Perseveranceは心理的特徴であって、障壁ではないことがわかります。
よって誤りです。
訳:皆にとって、好ましい結果または悪い結果をもたらす要因
第一段落を見ると、
the psychological characteristic of maintaining an existing belief despite any new information. Although this tendency itself is neither good nor bad
(Belief Perseveranceは新たな情報にもかかわらず既存の信念を維持する心理的特性であり、この傾向自体は善悪では判定できない。)
と記載があります。
善悪では判定できない、つまり、誰にとっても好ましいまたは悪い結果をもたらす要因と考えることができるため、この選択肢が正解です。
訳:容易に説得される人々にとっての大きな欠点
第一段落を見ると、
the psychological characteristic of maintaining an existing belief despite any new information.
(これは、新しい情報があるにもかかわらず、既存の信念を維持しようとする心理的な特性のことです)
と記載があります。
しかし、Belief Perseveranceは説得するのが難しいと言っているので、むしろ逆と言えます。よって誤りです。
訳:私たちの信念を強く保つことを妨げる障害
第一段落を見ると、
the psychological characteristic of maintaining an existing belief despite any new information. Although this tendency itself is neither good nor bad
(Belief Perseveranceは新たな情報にもかかわらず既存の信念を維持する心理的特性であり、この傾向自体は善悪では判定できない。)
と記載があります。
しかし、Belief Perseveranceは信念を強く保つことであり、妨げるわけではありません。よって誤りです。
参考になった数0
この解説の修正を提案する
03
本文の日本語訳
信念の固執（Belief Perseverance）
あなたの学校には、時代遅れのルールがあるかもしれません。もし先生にこれらのルールを更新するよう求めたとしても、あなたのアイデアは却下されてしまう可能性があります。もちろん、彼らの反対のほとんどは妥当なものでしょうが、中には「信念の固執（belief perseverance）」によって引き起こされるものもあるかもしれません。これは、新しい情報があるにもかかわらず、既存の信念を維持しようとする心理的な特性のことです。この傾向自体の良し悪しは別として、これが原因で個人的な問題から社会現象に至るまで、さまざまな対立が生じることがあります。
1980年にクレイグ・A・アンダーソンとその同僚たちが発表した研究は、この人間の傾向について述べています。実験の第一段階として、参加者たちは「リスクを冒すことをいとわない消防士の方が、仕事をよりうまく遂行する」と結論づけさせるような証拠を提示されました。驚くべきことに、その証拠が虚偽であったと告げられた後でさえ、参加者たちは自分たちの結論を変えることを嫌がったのです。なぜ自分の信念を変えるのは難しいのでしょうか？ その理由の一つは、私たちが「確証バイアス（confirmation bias）」を持っているからです。これは、自分の既存の信念と一致する情報を探そうとする心理的な傾向です。また、他人が自分の信念が間違っていることを証明しようとすればするほど、より強固にその信念に固執してしまう場合もあり、これは「バックファイア効果（backfire effect）」と呼ばれています。
イグナーツ・フィリップ・ゼンメルワイスの事例は、社会のある集団における信念の固執を証明しています。彼は19世紀の医師で、なぜある場所では出産後に熱（産褥熱）で亡くなる女性が他の場所よりも多いのかを不思議に思いました。彼のデータは、手洗いがその致命的な熱の発生数を減らせることを明らかに示していました。しかし当時、医師の間で手洗いは一般的ではありませんでした。彼の、命を救う可能性のあるアイデアは医学界に無視され、多くの医師はそれを拒絶しただけでなく、彼を嫌がらせすることさえありました。ゼンメルワイスの主張は、彼の死後かなり経ってからようやく受け入れられました。このエピソードは、信念の固執を持つ人々の集団が、革新者や画期的なアイデアに対して、いかに攻撃的になり得るかを示しています。この社会的反応は、この事件にちなんで「ゼンメルワイス反射（Semmelweis reflex）」と名付けられました。
信念の固執を理解することは、人々の行動の仕方を洞察する手がかりになります。例えば、あなたが留学したいと考えているのに、住む予定の都市が危険だと信じている家族が強く反対していると想像してみてください。その都市の犯罪率に関するデータを見せた後でさえ、あなたの努力は火に油を注ぐ結果（逆効果）に終わるかもしれません。もしこのバックファイア効果に直面したら、別のアプローチが必要になるかもしれません。例えば、「人は権威のある者の意見を信頼する傾向がある」という関連する行動を利用して、先生に頼んで家族と話してもらうといった方法です。
もし誰かがあなたに信じがたい情報を提示してきたら、すぐにそれを拒絶しないよう注意してください。もし自分の心の声がその情報に従うなと警告してきたら、それこそが「信念の固執」を思い出すべき時です。頑固であることは、あなたにとって良くないかもしれません。しかし多くの場合、最近では既存の信念を持ち続けることが望ましかったり、必要でさえあったりすることもあります。インターネットは正確な情報だけでなく、信頼できない情報も伝えるということを忘れないでください。信念の固執は、偽情報の可能性からあなたを守ることもできるのです。言い換えれば、新しい情報を受け入れる前に、時間をかけて詳しく調べるようにしましょう。結局のところ、私たち人間は生き残るために、長い時間をかけて信念の固執を発達させてきたのです。人間の本性を理解することは、生活のバランスを保つための鍵の一つなのです。
この設問では、
「Belief Perseverance（信念の固執）」の性質に関しての問題
訳）人々が自分の意見を表明するのを妨げる障壁
→間違い
信念の固執は「自分の意見（信念）にしがみつく」性質であり、意見を表明することを止めるものではありません。
訳）誰にとっても、プラスまたはマイナスの結果をもたらす原因
→正しい
本文の冒頭に「この傾向（信念の固執）自体は良くも悪くもないこと（neither good nor bad）が、個人的な問題から社会現象に至るまで対立を引き起こす可能性がある」と述べられていて、
最終段落に「信念の固執は、偽情報の可能性からあなたを守ることもできる（protect you from potentially fake information）」とも書かれており、プラス（防御）とマイナス（頑固さゆえの弊害）の両面があることが強調されています。
訳）説得されやすい人々にとっての大きなデメリット
→間違い
信念の固執は「簡単に説得されない」性質についての話なので、文脈が逆です。
訳）私たちの信念を強く保つことを妨げる障害
→間違い
これも逆です。信念の固執は、むしろ信念を「過剰に強く保ってしまう」ものです。
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