영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Psychologist Roy Baumeister proposed a concept ①called ego depletion theory, which suggests that willpower functions like a muscle that gradually tires after repeated use. According to this theory, every act of self-control, from resisting a snack to concentrating on difficult homework, ②draws from the same limited mental resource. As this resource becomes depleted throughout the day, later decisions ③require more effort and are more likely to fail. For instance, someone who exercises discipline avoiding distractions all morning may struggle ④to 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 ⑤offer a useful framework for understanding why willpower seems to fade throughout a long day.

Psychologists have long studied a mechanism called the variable reward schedule, in which rewards ①arrive unpredictably rather than after every single action. Slot machines famously exploit this principle, and social media notifications operate on strikingly similar logic. When someone posts a photo, they cannot predict exactly when likes will appear, nor ②how many they will eventually receive. This uncertainty triggers a small burst of dopamine each time the phone ③is checked, regardless of whether the result is disappointing or thrilling. Consequently, users often refresh their feeds compulsively, ④hoping the next check will finally bring a satisfying reward. What makes this troubling is that technology companies deliberately designed notification systems using insights borrowed from gambling research, rather than ⑤stumble upon them by accident.

Time blocking is a time-management technique in which a person ①divides the day into fixed blocks. Each block is then assigned to a single task. Instead of relying on a loose to-do list, the person decides exactly when each task ②will starting and end. This approach lowers the mental effort of deciding what to do next, since the schedule already provides the answer. It also limits multitasking, because each block ③is reserved for only one activity at a time. For instance, a student may block ninety minutes for math practice, ④leaving no room for messages or web browsing. Because each block has a clear boundary, unfinished work is ⑤less likely to quietly spread into the next task.

Advertisements often rely on subtle psychological techniques ①that persuade viewers without their conscious awareness. One common method, known as social proof, shows images of many people ②using or enjoying a product, suggesting that its popularity guarantees quality. Another technique appeals to authority, ③featuring experts or professionals endorsing a product to make it seem more credible. Repetition also plays a significant role, since seeing the same advertisement multiple times increases familiarity, ④which people often mistake for reliability. Researchers studying consumer behavior have found that viewers who understand these techniques ⑤is less easily influenced by them.

Value-based consumption refers to the practice of spending money on products or experiences ①that align with a person's personal beliefs, even if cheaper alternatives exist. Some critics dismiss this approach as impractical, ②arguing that most people cannot afford to prioritize ethics over affordability in daily life. However, supporters point out that value-based spending does not require constant sacrifice; it often means ③buying fewer, higher-quality items rather than accumulating cheap goods that wear out quickly. This shift also encourages companies ④improve their practices, since consumer demand increasingly rewards transparency and responsibility. For example, a clothing brand that openly shares its supply chain information may attract loyal customers ⑤willing to pay slightly more.

Have you ever noticed that a ①finished task keeps returning to your mind long after you stopped working? This phenomenon was first noticed by psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik, who saw that waiters remembered ②unpaid orders better than paid ones. Her observation led to what is now called the Zeigarnik effect: people remember ③incomplete tasks more vividly than completed ones. According to this theory, the mind maintains mental tension until a task reaches ④closure, keeping the unfinished task active in memory. Once the task is completed, the tension is ⑤released, and the mind lets go of the details.

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 ①immediately or wait for two. Researchers found that children who waited ②longer showed better academic performance and self-control years later. This ability to ③resist an immediate reward in favor of a larger future one 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. At first, resisting small purchases felt surprisingly ④easy, especially when her friends were eating out. After three months, however, she had ⑤saved enough to buy a bicycle she had wanted for over a year.

Time-management researchers frequently mention a principle known as Parkinson's Law, which states that work ①expands to fill the time available for its completion. According to this idea, a task that could be finished in one hour will often stretch to fill an entire afternoon if that much time is scheduled for it. Students who set ②vague deadlines frequently experience this effect, spending extra hours refining a report that was already ③complete. Employees given a full week for a simple project may also delay meaningful progress until the final days, even though the actual work requires far ④more effort. This pattern happens partly because people unconsciously adjust their pace to match perceived urgency. Setting shorter, more specific deadlines can ⑤counter this tendency, forcing tasks to fit within a tighter and more realistic window.

A growing number of health apps now track steps, sleep, and heart rate throughout the day, quietly building a detailed picture of a user's physical condition. By comparing this stream of data against patterns drawn from millions of other users, the app's algorithm can flag early warning signs, such as an irregular heartbeat, long before the person experiencing it would have noticed anything unusual. Doctors caution, however, that these apps are designed to detect patterns, not to diagnose illness, and that _______________.

주어진 문장: At first glance, this seems to suggest that Dunbar's theory no longer applies in the digital age. Anthropologist Robin Dunbar proposed a concept now known as Dunbar's number, suggesting that human beings can only maintain about one hundred fifty stable social relationships at any given time. ( ① ) This limit, he argued, comes from the size of the human brain, which restricts how many meaningful connections a person can cognitively manage. ( ② ) In contrast, many social media users today have hundreds or even thousands of online friends and followers, a number far exceeding what Dunbar's research predicts. ( ③ ) However, having numerous digital contacts does not necessarily mean that all of these relationships are close or emotionally supportive. ( ④ ) Most users, when asked, admit that they interact regularly with only a small fraction of their total followers, while the rest remain largely unnoticed. ( ⑤ ) Therefore, Dunbar's number reminds us that genuine, lasting relationships require consistent effort and attention, something that a large online network alone cannot provide.