영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Imagine a cafeteria where a healthy salad ①sits at eye level while fried snacks rest on a low shelf. Nobody is ②forbidden from choosing the snacks, yet most people quietly pick the salad instead. This simple technique illustrates a nudge, a concept from behavioral economics that gently ③guides people toward better choices without restricting their freedom. Companies and governments increasingly apply nudges to encourage sustainable consumption. For example, some hotels print reminders on towels stating that most guests reuse them, which ④persuade new guests to do the same and save water. Similarly, energy bills that compare a household's usage with that of efficient neighbors often lead people to reduce electricity use. Unlike strict regulations or heavy taxes, nudges ⑤rely on subtle changes in design rather than force. Critics argue nudges alone cannot solve large environmental problems, but combined with stronger policies, they can meaningfully shift everyday habits toward sustainability.

To ①compensate for their carbon emissions, many individuals and companies now purchase carbon offsets, financial credits that fund projects such as planting trees or building renewable energy plants. The idea is ②unappealing: paying for an equivalent amount of carbon to be absorbed elsewhere should cancel out the harm caused by activities like flying. However, critics argue that this system often functions as a convenient excuse for postponing ③genuine emission cuts rather than achieving them. For example, a newly planted forest may take decades to absorb the promised carbon, and it could later burn down or be cut, erasing any benefit. Moreover, some offset projects would have happened anyway, meaning the credits fund nothing truly ④additional. Experts insist that offsetting should complement, not replace, direct reductions in fossil fuel use if the strategy is to remain ⑤credible.

On a summer evening, downtown streets often feel ①noticeably hotter than nearby parks or suburban neighborhoods, even after the sun has set. This phenomenon, known as the urban heat island effect, occurs when cities ②retain more heat than surrounding rural areas because of their dense concentration of asphalt, concrete, and buildings. Unlike soil or vegetation, which absorb and release heat ③instantly, these man-made surfaces absorb sunlight during the day and slowly radiate it back at night, preventing temperatures from cooling. Tall buildings packed closely together also block wind, trapping warm air within narrow streets. In contrast, areas with ④abundant trees and open water naturally stay cooler, since plants release moisture that helps lower surrounding temperatures. To reduce this effect, many cities have begun installing rooftop gardens and ⑤expanding public parks, hoping that additional greenery will absorb less heat than pavement does.

Imagine two factories making the same product: one in a country with strict carbon rules, and one in a country with almost none. The factory facing stricter rules often spends more, which can make its goods pricier than those made elsewhere. To fix this imbalance, some governments have introduced the carbon border adjustment mechanism, a policy charging imported goods a fee based on how much carbon was released while producing them. Supporters argue that the system _______________. However, critics claim it unfairly burdens developing countries, which often lack money to modernize factories quickly. For example, a small exporter in a poorer nation might struggle to pay the added charge, though it contributes little to global emissions. Still, if wealthier nations pair the policy with technical support, it could become a genuinely fair tool for cutting emissions worldwide.

Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant in the world, prized for its ability to sharpen focus and fight off fatigue within minutes of consumption. It works by blocking adenosine, a chemical that gradually builds up in the brain throughout the day and makes us feel increasingly sleepy the longer we stay awake. By occupying the receptors that adenosine would normally bind to, caffeine tricks the brain into feeling alert even when the body has accumulated significant sleep pressure. The effects, however, last far longer than most people realize. Because caffeine can remain active in the bloodstream for five to six hours, a cup of coffee consumed in the late afternoon may still be interfering with the ability to fall asleep at midnight. Even when people do not consciously notice difficulty falling asleep, _______________. For this reason, many sleep specialists advise avoiding caffeine after early afternoon.

After an especially demanding training session, the instinct to collapse onto a couch and remain motionless is understandable, yet exercise physiologists increasingly recommend the opposite approach. (A) This gentle activity keeps blood circulating through tired muscles, which appears to help clear metabolic byproducts more efficiently than complete stillness does. (B) Some athletes worry that any movement at all will interfere with the repair process, but research suggests that truly light activity does not meaningfully slow healing. (C) Active recovery involves performing low-intensity movement, such as a light jog, an easy swim, or a gentle bike ride, on days following intense exertion rather than resting completely.

Climate change deniers often seem to ignore evidence that contradicts their views, and psychologists have a specific explanation for this behavior. (A) For example, someone whose job depends on fossil fuels may search for reasons to doubt the data, even while insisting that they respect science. (B) This concept, called motivated reasoning, describes how people process information in ways that protect their existing beliefs and lifestyles rather than pursue objective truth. (C) Rather than being a simple failure of intelligence, this pattern reflects a well-documented psychological tendency studied for decades.

This happens because the eyes remain remarkably responsive to light even after darkness falls, cueing the brain that it is still daytime. Smartphones, tablets, and computer screens all emit a significant amount of blue light, a short-wavelength light that our eyes are especially sensitive to. ( ① ) During the day, exposure to blue light from the sun helps keep us alert and mentally sharp, which is generally beneficial. ( ② ) At night, however, the same wavelength can interfere with the body's natural preparation for sleep. ( ③ ) Specialized cells in the retina detect blue light and send signals to the brain's internal clock, suppressing the release of melatonin, the hormone that signals it is time to rest. ( ④ ) Studies have found that people who scroll through their phones in bed before sleeping take longer to fall asleep and experience lighter, more easily disrupted sleep than those who avoid screens. ( ⑤ ) Some devices now offer a night mode that shifts the display toward warmer tones, reducing blue light output in the evening. While this feature may help slightly, sleep researchers generally recommend limiting screen use altogether in the hour before bedtime for the best results.

Treating only one side of this equation, therefore, often leaves the other free to sustain the sleeplessness on its own. Insomnia is rarely caused by a single factor; it usually emerges from an interaction between psychological stress and physiological arousal that keeps the body from settling into sleep. ( ① ) A common trigger is what researchers call cognitive hyperarousal, in which the mind continues to race with worries about work, relationships, or even the inability to sleep itself, creating a frustrating cycle where anxiety about insomnia becomes a cause of insomnia. ( ② ) At the same time, the body's stress response system can become chronically activated, releasing hormones such as cortisol that keep heart rate and body temperature elevated at night, both of which interfere with the natural drop in arousal needed to fall asleep. ( ③ ) Poor sleep habits, including irregular bedtimes and excessive screen use before bed, can further weaken the body's internal signals for sleep onset. ( ④ ) Because these psychological and physiological factors reinforce one another, effective treatment for chronic insomnia addresses both the racing mind and the underlying pattern of physical tension, rather than relying on medication alone. ( ⑤ )

This gap remains even after accounting for factors such as study habits, motivation, and overall intelligence. Researchers who study teenagers have found a strong link between how well students sleep and how well they perform in school. ( ① ) Students who sleep fewer than seven hours a night tend to score lower on tests of memory and attention than those who sleep eight or nine hours, even when the two groups study for the same number of hours. ( ② ) One explanation is that sleep plays an active role in learning: during certain stages of sleep, the brain replays and strengthens information encountered during the day, converting fragile short-term memories into more durable long-term ones. ( ③ ) When sleep is cut short, this consolidation process is interrupted before it can finish, so material that seemed well understood the night before often feels unfamiliar the next morning. ( ④ ) For this reason, some schools have begun rethinking early start times, reasoning that an extra hour of sleep might do more for test scores than an extra hour of studying ever could. ( ⑤ )