영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Melatonin is a hormone ①produced by a small gland deep within the brain, and its release follows a remarkably predictable daily pattern. Levels stay low throughout the bright hours of the day, ②begin rising in the evening as darkness falls, peak in the middle of the night, and then decline again as morning approaches. This rhythm is controlled primarily by light: specialized cells in the eye detect brightness and send signals that either permit or ③suppress melatonin production, which is why exposure to bright screens late at night can delay its release and make falling asleep more difficult. Unlike some hormones that directly cause the body to perform a task, melatonin does not force sleep to occur; instead, it signals to the rest of the body that night has arrived, ④preparing various systems to shift into a lower-energy state. Because of this signaling role, taking melatonin supplements at the wrong time can shift a person's internal clock in the opposite direction from what was ⑤intending.

Psychologist Roy Baumeister proposed a concept called ego depletion theory, which suggests that ___________. According to this theory, every act of self-control, from resisting a snack to concentrating on difficult homework, draws from the same limited mental resource. As this resource becomes depleted throughout the day, later decisions require more effort and are more likely to fail. For instance, someone who exercises discipline avoiding distractions all morning may struggle to resist checking a phone by evening. Likewise, dieters report that self-control weakens sharply at night, after hours of resisting food. Some researchers argue that short breaks, adequate sleep, and blood sugar levels can help restore this depleted resource. Although later studies have questioned how strong this effect is, the theory still offers a useful framework for understanding why willpower seems to fade throughout a long day.

When Mina was a freshman, she often spent her allowance within a few days. Her older cousin told her about the marshmallow experiment, a famous study in which children could eat one marshmallow immediately or wait for two. Researchers found that children who waited longer showed better academic performance and self-control years later. This ___________ is known as delayed gratification. Inspired by the study, Mina began saving half of her allowance each week instead of spending it all on snacks.

Building brand loyalty has traditionally been considered one of the most valuable goals in marketing, since loyal customers tend to spend more and recommend products to others. Companies invest significant resources in loyalty programs, offering points, discounts, and exclusive access to encourage repeat purchases. However, some critics argue that these programs manipulate consumers into staying with a brand out of habit rather than genuine satisfaction. Genuine loyalty, they contend, should be earned through consistent quality and honest treatment of customers, not through artificial incentives that merely delay a customer's departure. As markets become more competitive, relying solely on loyalty programs without addressing underlying product quality may ultimately backfire. Therefore, companies should treat loyalty ___________.

Every day, email providers quietly block billions of unwanted messages before they ever reach a user's inbox. The filter examines each incoming message for suspicious patterns, including certain keywords, unusual sender addresses, and formatting tricks. What makes the system effective is that it keeps learning after launch: whenever a user marks a message as spam, that action becomes new training data, sharpening the filter's future decisions. This creates a constant back-and-forth, since spammers study which messages get blocked and then adjust their wording to slip through again. As a result, _______________.

When Daniel was a child, he dreamed of becoming an astronaut, yet he assumed such careers belonged only to a handful of government scientists. During an internship, he helped design a small satellite intended to monitor crop health from orbit, a project that combined engineering with agricultural science. He realized that ___________. After graduation, Daniel joined a startup developing lunar landing equipment, a job that barely existed when he first imagined his future career.

Every brand has a history, but not every brand knows how to tell it well. (A) For example, a small shoe company once shared the story of its founder's grandfather, who had repaired shoes for workers in need. (B) Consequently, other companies began investing in storytelling as a core part of their marketing strategy. (C) Stories like this create emotional connections that plain advertisements rarely achieve on their own.

Nomophobia, short for "no-mobile-phone phobia," describes the intense anxiety many people feel when they are separated from their smartphones. (A) For instance, some individuals check their phones every few minutes even when they know no one has contacted them, simply to ease this fear. (B) This anxiety often includes physical symptoms such as a racing heart or sweating, especially when the phone's battery is running low or its signal disappears. (C) Because of these effects, experts recommend gradually limiting phone use to build tolerance for being disconnected.

Consumers today are bombarded with eco-friendly slogans on almost every product they buy. (A) Behind many of these slogans, however, lies a deceptive practice called greenwashing, in which companies exaggerate their environmental efforts without making real changes. (B) Consumers can avoid being fooled by such tactics by checking for recognized certifications and transparent, independently verified reports rather than trusting catchy labels alone. (C) For instance, a firm may highlight one eco-friendly product line while its factories continue to pollute rivers and emit large amounts of carbon.

Implementation intentions have become one of the most widely studied tools in behavioral psychology for helping people reach their goals. (A) Unlike a vague goal such as "I will exercise more," an implementation intention specifies both the situation that triggers the behavior and the exact action that follows. (B) Because the decision has already been made in advance, people no longer need to rely on willpower at the critical moment when the temptation to skip arises. (C) For example, a person might decide, "If it is seven in the morning, then I will put on my running shoes immediately," rather than simply hoping to find time to exercise.