영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

An echo chamber refers to an online environment where people are mainly ①exposed to opinions that already match their own beliefs. This phenomenon occurs because social media algorithms tend to ②recommending content similar to what users have previously liked or shared, gradually narrowing the range of perspectives they encounter. As a result, individuals inside an echo chamber rarely engage with viewpoints ③that challenge their existing assumptions, which allows their original beliefs to grow increasingly extreme over time. For example, someone who frequently reads articles supporting one political party may begin to see the opposing party as entirely unreasonable, ④having never seriously considered its arguments. Political polarization, a significant issue in many countries today, is often ⑤linked to this pattern of selective exposure.

When people encounter solid scientific evidence about climate change, we might expect them ①to accept it without hesitation. However, many individuals still dismiss or downplay such evidence, and psychologists explain this pattern through a concept called motivated reasoning. Motivated reasoning refers to the tendency to process information in a way that ②protects one's existing beliefs, identity, or lifestyle rather than to pursue objective truth. For example, a person whose livelihood depends on the fossil fuel industry may unconsciously search for reasons to doubt climate data, even while ③claim to value scientific accuracy. This happens because accepting uncomfortable facts can threaten a person's sense of self or ④demand costly lifestyle changes. Therefore, simply presenting more data rarely persuades a committed skeptic. Instead, experts suggest connecting climate information to values the person already holds, such as family safety or economic stability, so that acceptance feels ⑤natural rather than threatening.

Choice architecture refers to how decisions are ①designed. It determines which option is automatically selected unless a person chooses otherwise, ②known as the default option. Research consistently shows that people tend to stick with whatever is already set, even when changing it takes only seconds. Organ donation is a well-known example. Countries ③which citizens are automatically registered as donors unless they opt out show much higher donation rates than opt-in countries. Retirement savings programs show a similar pattern, since employees ④automatically enrolled in a pension plan rarely cancel it. Voluntary sign-ups, in contrast, often delay indefinitely. Critics argue that default options can be manipulated to benefit companies, so transparency about how defaults are chosen becomes essential, and supporters insist it should be designed ⑤to support people's long-term interests.

Many people believe that a new habit becomes automatic after only twenty-one days, but researchers who examined real behavior found a different number. This project, called the 66-day habit formation study, tracked volunteers who tried to adopt a new daily habit, like drinking water with lunch. Researchers measured how automatic each action felt over time and found that habits needed ___________. Yet the actual time varied widely, ranging from about eighteen days for simple habits to over two hundred days for difficult ones. This wide range explains why the popular twenty-one-day claim, though easy to remember, rarely matches real experience.

Psychologists who study daily behavior describe habits through a model called the cue-routine-reward loop. This theory explains that every habit begins with a cue, a signal that tells the brain to start an automatic behavior. The brain then performs a routine, which is the action itself, whether physical or mental. Finally, the brain receives a reward, a positive feeling that makes it want to repeat the same behavior. For example, a notification sound can act as a cue that leads a student to check a phone, and the relief from boredom becomes the reward. Similarly, opening a refrigerator out of habit rather than hunger shows how a routine can run without conscious thought. Because this loop operates automatically, breaking a bad habit requires ___________. Understanding this structure helps people redesign daily patterns more effectively than relying on willpower alone.

Last spring, a small cosmetics brand opened a pop-up store in a busy shopping district for just two weeks. Rather than displaying products in the usual manner, the team designed the space to resemble a colorful garden, inviting visitors to explore and take photographs. Word spread quickly through social media as customers shared images of the unusual setting with their friends and followers. Lines formed outside the store within days, even though the products themselves were already available online. Curious about this success, a marketing researcher later interviewed several visitors, who explained that the temporary nature of the event made the experience feel special and worth attending in person. Many admitted they had never previously purchased from the brand but decided to buy something simply to remember the visit. When the two weeks ended, the brand reported a significant increase in both sales and social media followers. Encouraged by these results, ___________.

Last January, Minji wrote the same resolution she always wrote: study English for an hour every day. By February, she had already quit, just as in previous years. Frustrated, she asked her teacher why her willpower always failed, and learned about a concept called ___________. This idea, developed by psychologists, means forming a specific if-then plan that links a certain situation to a certain action in advance. Instead of vaguely intending to study more, Minji made a precise plan: if she finished dinner, then she would study for thirty minutes.

Generation Z is reshaping consumer culture in ways that surprise many traditional marketers. (A) As a result, brands that rely solely on flashy advertising campaigns often struggle to win their loyalty. (B) They tend to research thoroughly before buying and expect companies to demonstrate genuine values, not just attractive slogans. (C) Instead, this generation responds more strongly to transparency and honest communication from the brands they support.

Software development teams are especially known for missing their own deadlines by wide margins. (A) A team asked to estimate a new project usually imagines everything proceeding smoothly, without bugs, meetings, or unexpected requests. (B) To avoid repeating this mistake, some teams now review how long their last three similar projects actually took before setting a new deadline. (C) Because this imagined version rarely matches reality, the original deadline is missed almost every time, often by weeks or months.

주어진 문장: Not every transaction goes smoothly, however, since photographs and descriptions cannot always capture an item's true condition. Secondhand trading platforms, once considered a niche market for used goods, have grown into a mainstream part of consumer culture. ( ① ) Rising prices for new products, combined with growing awareness of environmental waste, have encouraged many shoppers to consider used items before purchasing something brand new. ( ② ) These platforms allow individuals to sell clothing, electronics, and furniture directly to other consumers, cutting out traditional retail markups entirely. ( ③ ) For younger buyers especially, purchasing secondhand items has become associated with resourcefulness rather than financial necessity. ( ④ ) Sellers benefit as well, earning extra income from items that would otherwise sit unused in storage. ( ⑤ ) To address this problem, many platforms now offer buyer protection programs and detailed rating systems for sellers.