영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

ESG management refers to a company's efforts to consider Environmental, Social, and Governance factors alongside profit when making business decisions. Investors increasingly rely on ESG ratings to judge whether a company is managed ①carelessly and sustainably over the long term. Recently, however, many corporations have learned to boost their ESG scores without ②genuinely transforming their operations. Some firms publish glossy reports filled with impressive statistics while their actual carbon emissions barely decline, exploiting the fact that ESG evaluation systems still lack ③consistent global standards. This gap between appearance and substance has led critics to demand stricter, more ④transparent criteria for measuring corporate responsibility. Genuine ESG management, in contrast, requires measurable targets, independent audits, and long-term accountability rather than one-time donations or attractive slogans. Investors who wish to identify truly responsible companies should therefore examine ⑤detailed disclosures instead of trusting labels alone.

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.

Behavioral economists use the term status quo bias to describe a tendency to prefer the present situation over a new alternative, even when the alternative would bring greater benefits. This bias helps explain why many households hesitate to switch to renewable energy, such as installing solar panels on their roofs. Although solar panels can lower electricity bills over time, homeowners often stick with their current power source because it feels safe and requires no immediate effort. In contrast, switching demands research, upfront cost, and trust in unfamiliar technology, all of which can seem risky compared with doing nothing. For example, a neighborhood association might repeatedly postpone a vote on shared solar panels, not because the plan is flawed, but because members are reluctant to leave their routine. Therefore, boosting renewable adoption may depend less on proving its advantages and more on _______________.

A small riverside village had endured severe flooding almost every summer, watching helplessly as rising water damaged homes and destroyed crops year after year. Frustrated residents eventually decided to _______________. Engineers widened the drainage canals surrounding the village, allowing excess rainwater to flow away more efficiently instead of pooling in low-lying streets. Meanwhile, several families whose houses stood in the most vulnerable areas relocated to higher ground, even though leaving their long-time homes was emotionally difficult. The village also installed an early warning system that sent alerts to residents' phones whenever river levels rose dangerously fast. When a powerful storm struck three years later, the new measures proved effective, and the village suffered only minor damage instead of the devastating losses it had previously faced. Their resilience became a model for neighboring communities.

The term green premium _______________. For example, an electric vehicle or solar-powered appliance often carries a higher price tag than its gasoline-powered or coal-based counterpart, even though it produces fewer emissions over time. This price gap frequently discourages shoppers who support sustainability in principle but cannot justify the additional expense within a limited household budget. In contrast, wealthier consumers can absorb the premium more easily, which creates unequal participation in green markets. To narrow this gap, governments have introduced subsidies and tax credits that lower upfront costs, while companies invest in research to make clean technologies cheaper to manufacture. As production scales up and innovation continues, many economists expect the green premium to shrink steadily, eventually making sustainable choices the more affordable option for most consumers.

When people encounter solid scientific evidence about climate change, we might expect them to 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 _______________. For example, a person whose livelihood depends on the fossil fuel industry may unconsciously search for reasons to doubt climate data, even while claiming to value scientific accuracy. This happens because accepting uncomfortable facts can threaten a person's sense of self or demand 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 natural rather than threatening.

In the days leading up to an endurance event, many athletes deliberately increase their carbohydrate intake while reducing training volume, a practice known as carbohydrate loading. (A) Because glycogen serves as the primary fuel source during prolonged, intense exercise, entering an event with fuller stores can delay the point of exhaustion that runners often call hitting the wall. (B) Sports nutritionists caution, however, that the timing and composition of meals matter as much as the total quantity of carbohydrate consumed. (C) The strategy is designed to maximize the amount of glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrate, packed into muscle tissue before competition begins.

Climate change is often described as a challenge that affects the entire planet equally, yet a closer look reveals a more complicated picture. (A) Wealthy, industrialized nations have historically released the largest share of greenhouse gases while building their economies, yet developing nations, which contributed comparatively little, frequently suffer the most severe droughts and floods. This gap between responsibility and suffering raises a serious ethical question that science alone cannot answer. (B) However, the concept of climate justice reminds us that the causes and consequences of climate change are distributed unevenly across the globe. (C) For example, a farming community in a low-income country may lose its entire harvest to an unusual flood, even though its members have never owned a car or flown on a plane. Therefore, tackling climate change requires more than new technology; it demands fair policies supporting the very communities least responsible for causing the crisis.

Many countries and companies today have adopted the goal of carbon neutrality, aiming to balance the greenhouse gases they emit with the amount they remove from the atmosphere. (A) Achieving this goal typically requires several sequential stages rather than a single sudden action; first, organizations attempt to reduce emissions directly by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power. (B) Critics argue, however, that some companies exploit offsetting too early, using it to avoid making genuine reductions, so experts insist that a credible roadmap must always prioritize actual emission cuts before relying on compensation. (C) Next, they improve efficiency throughout their operations, minimizing the energy wasted during production and transportation, and only after these measures have been maximized do most organizations turn to offsetting, funding outside projects such as reforestation.

주어진 문장: This is precisely why scientists treat these thresholds with such urgency, rather than viewing them as distant, abstract possibilities. Climate scientists frequently warn about tipping points, thresholds beyond which a small additional change triggers a large, often irreversible shift in the climate system. ( ① ) Unlike gradual warming, which unfolds steadily over decades, crossing a tipping point can produce dramatic consequences within a short period. ( ② ) For instance, as Arctic ice melts, it exposes darker ocean water that absorbs more sunlight than reflective ice, accelerating further melting in a self-reinforcing cycle. ( ③ ) Similarly, scientists worry that a major ocean current, which currently redistributes heat across the planet, could slow dramatically if enough freshwater from melting glaciers dilutes the surrounding seawater. ( ④ ) Once such thresholds are crossed, restoring the original balance may become nearly impossible, even if emissions are later reduced. ( ⑤ ) Therefore, researchers argue that preventing these transitions matters more than merely slowing average temperature increases. Identifying how close each system stands to its threshold remains one of the most urgent challenges in climate research.