영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

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 ①would brought greater benefits. This bias helps explain why many households hesitate ②to 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 ③requires no immediate effort. In contrast, switching demands research, upfront cost, and trust in unfamiliar technology, all of which can ④seem 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 ⑤reluctant 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.

Smart speakers have quietly become a fixture in many households, ①responding to spoken requests for weather updates, music, or kitchen timers. Behind this simple exchange lies a complex process: the device converts sound waves into text, interprets the meaning using language models, and then generates a spoken reply, all within a second or two. Because these assistants improve by ②learning from millions of interactions, they gradually become better at recognizing regional accents and casual phrasing that once confused them. Still, the technology remains far from perfect. Background noise, overlapping voices, or an unusual sentence structure can cause the assistant ③misunderstanding a simple request, sometimes with amusing results. Engineers continue to refine these systems, but many admit that truly natural conversation, the kind ④that flows without repeated commands or awkward pauses, ⑤remains one of the hardest goals in the entire field of artificial intelligence.

VO2 max, ①defined as the maximum volume of oxygen a person's body can consume and use during intense exercise, is widely regarded as one of the best single indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness. Elite endurance athletes typically post VO2 max values far higher than those of untrained individuals, ②reflecting hearts that pump larger volumes of blood and muscles that extract oxygen from that blood with remarkable efficiency. While genetics accounts for a substantial portion of an individual's potential VO2 max, consistent aerobic training can still ③raise the measurement considerably over months of dedicated effort. Interval training, which alternates short bursts of near-maximal effort with periods of recovery, has proven particularly effective at ④improve this measurement compared to steady, moderate-intensity exercise alone. It is worth noting, however, that a high VO2 max does not guarantee success in competition, since factors such as running economy, pacing strategy, and mental resilience also ⑤play a decisive role in determining who actually crosses the finish line first.

Many people struggling to fall asleep in noisy environments turn to white noise machines, devices that emit a ①chaotic, uniform sound covering a broad range of frequencies. The appeal lies in a phenomenon called auditory masking, in which a constant background sound makes sudden noises, such as a slamming door, ②less noticeable to the sleeping brain. Without this masking effect, an abrupt change in sound is far more likely to trigger a brief awakening, even if the sleeper does not ③consciously remember it the next morning. Studies comparing sleep in quiet rooms with sleep alongside white noise have found that participants using white noise experienced fewer of these brief awakenings and reported feeling more ④rested. However, researchers caution that the benefit depends heavily on volume and consistency, since noise that is too loud or that varies unpredictably can itself become a source of ⑤disruption rather than a remedy.

Opening most camera apps today reveals a row of filters that can smooth skin, brighten eyes, and reshape a jawline before a photo is even taken, all powered by AI models trained to recognize facial features in real time. What began as a playful novelty has become a ①default setting for many users, subtly adjusting nearly every selfie posted online. Psychologists have grown concerned about a specific consequence of this shift: people increasingly compare their unfiltered reflection in a mirror to a filtered version of themselves seen constantly on a screen, a comparison that earlier generations never had to ②face. Some social media platforms have responded by ③labeling heavily edited photos or banning certain filters that alter body shape. Whether such small warnings can meaningfully ④worsen the daily flood of filtered images, however, remains an ⑤open question that researchers are only beginning to study.

Sleep is not a single, uniform state but a cycle that alternates between two very different modes: REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and non-REM sleep. During non-REM sleep, especially its deepest stage, the brain waves ①slow down dramatically, the body temperature drops, and tissue repair and growth hormone release reach their peak. This is the period most closely associated with physical ②restoration. REM sleep, by contrast, brings rapid eye movements, near-total muscle paralysis, and brain activity that closely resembles wakefulness. Most vivid dreaming occurs during this stage, and researchers believe it plays a central role in ③ignoring memories and processing emotional experiences. A healthy night typically cycles through both stages four or five times, with non-REM dominating the early hours and REM periods ④lengthening toward morning. Disrupting either stage, through frequent awakenings or alcohol use, can leave a person feeling ⑤unrested even after a full night in bed.

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. The strategy is designed to maximize the amount of glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrate, packed into muscle tissue before competition begins. Because glycogen serves as the primary fuel source during prolonged, intense exercise, _______________. Sports nutritionists caution, however, that the timing and composition of meals matter as much as the total quantity of carbohydrate consumed, since eating unfamiliar foods immediately before competition can cause digestive discomfort.

Adaptive learning apps promise something no traditional classroom can easily offer: a lesson plan that adjusts itself to each individual student in real time. As a student answers practice questions, the app tracks which concepts are mastered and which remain shaky, then quietly reshuffles the next set of problems to target the weaker areas. However, critics caution that _______________. There is also a subtler concern: students who grow used to instant, algorithm-generated feedback may struggle later with the slower, more ambiguous kind of feedback that real-world tasks and mentors typically provide.

One of the clearest examples of this involves a specific protein that stimulates the growth of new brain cells. Exercise does far more than strengthen muscles and the heart; it also produces measurable changes within the brain itself. ( ① ) During sustained physical activity, the body releases a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which supports the growth of new neurons and strengthens connections between existing ones, particularly in regions associated with memory and learning. ( ② ) Studies comparing physically active students to sedentary peers have repeatedly found that the active group performs better on tests of attention and problem-solving, even when the exercise session ends well before the test begins. ( ③ ) Researchers believe that exercise increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients more efficiently, while also reducing levels of stress hormones that can interfere with clear thinking. ( ④ ) Interestingly, aerobic activities such as running or swimming appear to produce more pronounced cognitive benefits than purely strength-based training. ( ⑤ )

Static stretching, in which a muscle is held at its longest length for an extended period, can actually reduce the muscle's ability to generate explosive force immediately afterward. For decades, athletes were taught to stretch a muscle and hold the position before any competition, believing that this practice alone would prevent injury. ( ① ) Recent research, however, has complicated that assumption considerably. ( ② ) This is especially troubling for sprinters or jumpers who need maximum power right away. ( ③ ) Dynamic stretching, which involves controlled, repeated movement through a joint's full range of motion, appears to prepare muscles for activity without this temporary weakening effect. ( ④ ) As a result, many coaches now recommend saving static stretching for after a workout, while reserving dynamic movements for the warm-up period before intense effort begins. ( ⑤ )