영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

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.

Psychologist Roy Baumeister proposed a concept called ego depletion theory, which suggests that willpower functions like a muscle that gradually ①strengthens after repeated use. According to this theory, every act of self-control, from resisting a snack to concentrating on difficult homework, draws from the same ②limited mental resource. As this resource becomes ③depleted 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 ④struggle 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 ⑤restore this depleted resource.

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.

Limited-edition products are goods that are released in small quantities for a ①short period of time. Many companies use this strategy because scarcity naturally ②decreases how much people desire an item. When consumers believe that a product will disappear soon, they often feel ③pressured to buy it immediately rather than wait. This excitement is ④intensified by social media, where people proudly share photos of items that others could not obtain. As a result, some shoppers later ⑤regret spending money on products they rarely use afterward.

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.

Many companies today advertise their products as environmentally friendly, yet not all of these claims are accurate. This practice, known as greenwashing, involves exaggerating or fabricating a product's positive impact on the environment. Some brands print vague terms such as "natural" or "eco-conscious" on packaging without providing any evidence to support these labels. Consumers, who are increasingly concerned about climate change, often trust such claims without questioning them closely. As a result, they may pay higher prices for products that are no more sustainable than ordinary alternatives. Genuine environmental efforts, which usually require significant investment and long-term planning, are far more costly than simply changing a label. Therefore, governments should establish clear standards that require companies to ___________.

Elite athletes rarely walk up to a free throw line or a golf ball without first performing a highly specific sequence of movements, a habit sports psychologists call a pre-performance routine. (A) Researchers have found that athletes who follow a consistent routine tend to show more stable performance under pressure than those who approach each attempt differently. (B) Far from being mere superstition, this consistent sequence serves a genuine cognitive purpose, narrowing an athlete's focus away from distracting thoughts and toward the specific technical cues needed to execute the skill correctly. (C) For this reason, coaches now actively teach young athletes to develop and rehearse individualized routines rather than treating them as personal quirks.

3D printing has found practical applications across a surprisingly wide range of fields. (A) In medicine, for example, hospitals now create prosthetic limbs that are precisely tailored to each patient's body. (B) The automotive industry has also adopted the technology, using it to manufacture lightweight parts that improve fuel efficiency. (C) Even small businesses have gained access to manufacturing capabilities that were once available only to large corporations with significant capital.

Time perception can also shift according to age, not only according to attention or emotion. (A) This may occur because each year represents a smaller fraction of a person's total life as they grow older. (B) Many older adults report that entire years seem to pass more quickly than they did during childhood. (C) Psychologists studying this phenomenon have proposed that our sense of time speed is partly relative rather than fixed.

주어진 문장: This spreading of feelings was traditionally assumed to require physical cues like facial expressions or vocal tone. Have you ever noticed your mood shifting after scrolling through a friend's gloomy post online? ( ① ) This phenomenon, known as emotional contagion, refers to the tendency of one person's feelings to spread to others nearby, almost like a cold passing between classmates. ( ② ) Psychologists once studied this effect mainly through face-to-face interactions, such as tone of voice. ( ③ ) However, researchers have discovered that emotional contagion also occurs online, where only text or images are exchanged, without any physical presence at all. ( ④ ) For instance, when someone posts a negative comment beneath a cheerful photo, the comments that follow often turn noticeably more negative in tone. In contrast, a single kind comment can shift an entire thread toward positivity within minutes. ( ⑤ ) This suggests that emotions online spread through carefully chosen words alone. Consequently, many experts now argue that being mindful of what we post matters more than we typically assume.