영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Anthropologist Robin Dunbar ①proposed 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. This limit, he argued, comes from the size of the human brain, ②which restricts how many meaningful connections a person can cognitively manage. In contrast, many social media users today have hundreds or even thousands of online friends and followers, a number far ③exceeding what Dunbar's research predicts. However, having numerous digital contacts does not necessarily mean that all of these relationships ④are close or emotionally supportive. Most users, when asked, admit that they interact regularly with only a small fraction of their total followers, while the rest remain ⑤largely unnoticing.

Many students assume that perfectionists work harder than everyone else, but psychologists describe a puzzling pattern ①called the perfectionism-procrastination cycle. This term describes how an intense fear of imperfect work ②cause people to delay starting a task rather than begin it. Because perfectionists set impossibly high standards, they often feel anxious before they even begin, and the task feels ③overwhelming. They then postpone the work to avoid ④facing their own unrealistic expectations, even though delay only increases their stress later. For example, a student writing a research paper might spend hours reorganizing notes instead of composing a single sentence that ⑤feels good enough.

Behavioral economists use the term status quo bias to describe a tendency to prefer the ①**present** situation over a new alternative, even when the alternative would bring greater benefits. This bias helps explain why many households ②**rush** 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 ③**safe** and requires no immediate effort. In contrast, switching demands research, upfront cost, and trust in unfamiliar technology, all of which can seem ④**risky** compared with doing nothing. For example, a neighborhood association might repeatedly ⑤**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 designing programs that make the first step feel easy.

For decades, productivity advice has focused almost entirely on managing time efficiently, yet many experts now argue this approach ①emphasizes something important. Unlike time, which flows at a ②constant rate, human energy naturally rises and falls in cycles shaped by sleep, food, and mental fatigue. A person who tackles difficult tasks during a low-energy period, for instance, may need two hours to finish what takes thirty minutes at ③peak energy. Similarly, someone who forces themselves to keep working without rest often produces careless mistakes that require additional time to ④correct later. Advocates of energy management recommend identifying one's peak hours and reserving them for demanding work, while saving low-energy periods for ⑤routine tasks.

Jian wanted to become a reader for years, but every time he picked up a thick novel, he felt ①overwhelmed and quickly closed it. His cousin, who had read dozens of books that year, told him about something called the two-minute rule. This rule states that a new habit should be shrunk to under two minutes, since a smaller starting point ②strengthens the friction that usually stops people from beginning. Some nights he stopped after that single page, but most nights, once started, he kept reading for twenty or thirty minutes without ③noticing. Because the initial barrier became so small, sitting down no longer felt like a ④burden requiring willpower. Within three months, Jian had finished five books, proving that reducing friction can matter more than ⑤motivation itself.

Last January, Minji wrote the same resolution she always wrote: study English for an hour every day. By February, she had already quit, just as in previous years. ①Frustrated, she asked her teacher why her willpower always failed, and learned about a concept called implementation intentions. This idea, developed by psychologists, means forming a ②specific if-then plan that links a certain situation to a certain action in advance. She also prepared a ③backup plan: if she felt too tired, then she would study for just ten minutes instead of skipping entirely. Because these plans ④removed the need to decide anything in the moment, starting became far easier for Minji. By December, she had studied for eleven straight months, proving that clear if-then plans ⑤complicated vague intentions.

Many people believe that a new habit becomes automatic after only twenty-one days, but researchers who ①examined real behavior found a different number. Researchers measured how automatic each action felt over time and found that habits needed an average of sixty-six days to become ②effortless. Yet the actual time varied ③widely, ranging from about eighteen days for simple habits to over two hundred days for difficult ones. This wide range explains why the popular twenty-one-day claim, though easy to remember, ④frequently matches real experience. For instance, flossing might feel automatic within a few weeks, while jogging every morning may take months to feel ⑤natural.

주어진 문장: Fortunately, this cycle is not impossible to reverse. An echo chamber refers to an online environment where people are mainly exposed to opinions that already match their own beliefs. ( ① ) This phenomenon occurs because social media algorithms tend to recommend content similar to what users have previously liked or shared, gradually narrowing the range of perspectives they encounter. ( ② ) As a result, individuals inside an echo chamber rarely engage with viewpoints that challenge their existing assumptions, which allows their original beliefs to grow increasingly extreme over time. ( ③ ) For example, someone who frequently reads articles supporting one political party may begin to see the opposing party as entirely unreasonable, having never seriously considered its arguments. ( ④ ) Political polarization, a significant issue in many countries today, is often linked to this pattern of selective exposure. ( ⑤ ) Breaking out of an echo chamber requires deliberately seeking information from diverse sources, even when those sources present uncomfortable or unfamiliar ideas.

주어진 문장: In short, Fogg's model reminds us that ease of action, not sheer willpower, drives lasting behavior change. Many people believe that building a new habit requires strong willpower or motivation. ( ① ) However, psychologist BJ Fogg argues that habits form more easily when a behavior itself becomes simple to perform. ( ② ) His theory, called the Fogg Behavior Model, states that a behavior happens only when motivation, ability, and a prompt occur together. When motivation is low, the task must be made extremely easy, or it will not happen at all. ( ③ ) For instance, a person who wants to exercise daily succeeds more often by committing to one push-up than to a long workout. Fogg calls this idea the law of least effort, since people naturally choose the option requiring the least energy. ( ④ ) A student who wants to read more might leave a book open on the desk rather than setting a vague goal. By lowering the required effort, people reduce the ability barrier and make steady action far more achievable. ( ⑤ )

주어진 문장: In contrast, downward comparison, which involves comparing oneself with someone worse off, can temporarily boost self-esteem instead. Psychologist Leon Festinger introduced social comparison theory, which explains that people evaluate their own abilities and opinions by comparing themselves with others. ( ① ) According to this theory, individuals engage in upward comparison when they measure themselves against someone who appears more successful, attractive, or accomplished. ( ② ) Social media platforms, filled with carefully edited photos and exaggerated achievements, provide endless opportunities for this kind of comparison. ( ③ ) For instance, a teenager browsing vacation pictures posted by classmates may begin to feel that her own ordinary life is somehow inadequate. ( ④ ) Unlike comparing oneself with someone in a similar position, which can sometimes boost confidence, upward comparison frequently triggers envy, dissatisfaction, and lower self-esteem. ( ⑤ ) Researchers have found that frequent upward comparison online is linked to higher depression and anxiety. Consequently, this theory helps explain why scrolling through social media often leaves users feeling worse rather than better about themselves.