영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Many teenagers check their social media accounts dozens of times a day, worried that they might miss something important happening among their friends. This anxiety, known as FOMO, or the fear of missing out, ①arises when people believe that others are enjoying experiences from which they themselves are excluded. For example, a student ②scrolling through photos of a party she was not invited to may suddenly feel a wave of loneliness and regret, even though the event has already ended. Constantly ③refreshed feeds to avoid missing such updates, however, makes it difficult to concentrate on schoolwork or conversations happening in the present moment. Moreover, this endless comparison with curated highlights of other people's lives tends to ④deepen feelings of anxiety rather than relieve them. Therefore, students should learn ⑤to limit their social media use and focus more attention on the relationships and activities directly in front of them.

Jina used to fill her apartment with items she rarely used, believing that owning more things would make her happier. After moving twice within a single year, she grew exhausted from packing boxes filled with clothes she had never worn and gadgets she had forgotten she ①owned. Frustrated, she decided to try a minimalist lifestyle, ②keeping only objects that served a clear purpose or brought her genuine joy. At first, friends ③questioned why she was giving away perfectly good furniture and clothing. Gradually, however, she noticed that her small apartment ④felt calmer and easier to manage. Inspired by her experience, several of her friends began ⑤adopt similar habits, questioning purchases they once made without thinking.

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.

Years ago, a small shoe company struggled to compete with larger, well-funded rivals in the market. Its products were solid, but customers rarely remembered the brand after a single purchase. One day, the founder decided to share the story behind the company: how her grandfather had once repaired shoes for factory workers who could not afford new pairs. She began printing this story on every shoebox and posting it across social media. Surprisingly, customers started responding not just to the shoes themselves but to the values the story represented. Sales slowly increased as people felt they were supporting something meaningful rather than simply buying a product. Other companies noticed this shift and began crafting their own narratives, hoping to create similar emotional connections. Eventually, the founder realized that ___________.

Retailers frequently rely on sales events to boost short-term revenue, but the psychology behind these promotions is more complex than simple discounting. When a price is crossed out and replaced with a lower number, consumers instinctively perceive the new price as a bargain, even if the original price was rarely charged. This technique, known as anchoring, shapes how shoppers judge value by comparing prices rather than evaluating a product on its own merits. Retailers also use phrases such as "while supplies last" to suggest scarcity, even when inventory remains plentiful. Over time, frequent sales can actually train customers to wait for discounts rather than buy at full price, which can hurt long-term profits. Despite this risk, many companies continue relying on sales events because ___________.

Psychologist Leon Festinger introduced social comparison theory, which explains that people evaluate their own abilities and opinions by comparing themselves with others. According to this theory, individuals engage in upward comparison when they measure themselves against someone who appears more successful, attractive, or accomplished. Social media platforms, filled with carefully edited photos and exaggerated achievements, provide endless opportunities for this kind of comparison. For instance, a teenager browsing vacation pictures posted by classmates may begin to feel that her own ordinary life is somehow inadequate. Unlike comparing oneself with someone in a similar position, which can sometimes boost confidence, upward comparison frequently triggers envy, dissatisfaction, and lower self-esteem. Researchers have found that frequent upward comparison online is linked to higher depression and anxiety. Consequently, this theory helps explain why ___________.

Consumers today increasingly consider more than just price when deciding what to buy. (A) For example, many shoppers now research a company's labor practices before purchasing its products. (B) This growing awareness reflects a shift toward what is often called value-based consumption. (C) As a result, companies face increasing pressure to operate more responsibly and transparently.

Retailers rarely leave the shopping environment to chance. (A) For instance, cheerful background music and pleasant lighting are chosen specifically to keep shoppers relaxed and unhurried. (B) Every detail, from store layout to background music, is carefully designed to influence customer behavior. (C) As a result, customers often spend more time browsing and end up buying items they never intended to purchase.

주어진 문장: In other words, the default option is far more powerful than most people realize. Choice architecture refers to how decisions are designed. It determines which option is automatically selected unless a person chooses otherwise, known as the default option. ( ① ) Research consistently shows that people tend to stick with whatever is already set, even when changing it takes only seconds. ( ② ) Organ donation is a well-known example. Countries where citizens are automatically registered as donors unless they opt out show much higher donation rates than opt-in countries. ( ③ ) Retirement savings programs show a similar pattern, since employees automatically enrolled in a pension plan rarely cancel it. Voluntary sign-ups, in contrast, often delay indefinitely. ( ④ ) Critics argue that default options can be manipulated to benefit companies rather than individuals, so transparency about how defaults are chosen becomes essential. ( ⑤ ) Still, supporters insist that because some default must always exist, it should support people's own long-term interests rather than mere institutional convenience.

주어진 문장: Yet this idea sounds strange to most people, who assume that close relationships would naturally provide better opportunities than distant ones. Sociologist Mark Granovetter introduced an idea that seems contradictory at first glance, known as the strength of weak ties. ( ① ) According to this theory, people who see each other only occasionally, called weak ties, often provide more valuable information than close friends or family members, who are considered strong ties. ( ② ) This happens because strong ties tend to share the same social circles and, therefore, already possess similar knowledge. ( ③ ) Weak ties, in contrast, move within different networks, which allows them to introduce ideas or opportunities that would otherwise remain unknown. ( ④ ) For example, a former classmate rarely contacted might mention a job opening unavailable through one's immediate circle. ( ⑤ ) Social media platforms have made maintaining such connections remarkably easier, letting users keep hundreds of loose acquaintances active without frequent face-to-face meetings.