영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Setting a goal such as 'I will study harder' rarely ①leads to meaningful improvement. According to psychologists Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, specific and challenging goals ②produce far better performance than vague or easy ones. This idea, known as goal-setting theory, suggests ③that clear targets direct attention and sustain effort over time. To apply this theory effectively, many educators recommend the SMART framework, which ④require goals to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Because the goal includes a clear number and a deadline, progress becomes easy ⑤to track and evaluate.

Limited-edition products are goods that ①are released in small quantities for a short period of time. Many companies use this strategy because scarcity naturally ②increases how much people desire an item. For instance, a sneaker company that releases only a few thousand pairs of a special design can generate long lines outside stores overnight, ③drawing attention from collectors worldwide. However, this psychological pressure can lead to purchases that ④are driven by fear rather than genuine need. Marketers, aware of this pattern, ⑤continues to design new limited releases because urgency reliably drives sales.

Many people believe that ①building a new habit requires strong willpower or motivation. However, psychologist BJ Fogg argues that habits form more easily when a behavior itself ②become simple to perform. His theory, called the Fogg Behavior Model, states that a behavior happens only when motivation, ability, and a prompt ③occur together. When motivation is low, the model suggests, the task must ④be made extremely easy, or it will not happen at all. 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 ⑤requiring the least energy.

As technology continues to reshape nearly every profession, the idea of finishing education after graduation has become ①fashionable. Workers who once expected their initial training to last an entire career now find that skills can become obsolete within just a few years. Lifelong learning, therefore, has shifted from being an optional pursuit to a practical ②necessity for staying competitive in the job market. Companies that support this kind of continuous education often ③benefit as well, since employees bring fresh knowledge back into their daily tasks. Critics argue that constant learning can be ④exhausting and difficult to balance with personal responsibilities. Nevertheless, most career experts insist that those who resist ongoing education risk falling ⑤behind their peers.

Turning on automatic captions used to mean settling for garbled text full of obvious errors, but recent speech-recognition models have made same-language captions ① accurate enough that many viewers now leave them on by default, even when watching content in their native language. The technology listens to audio, breaks it into individual sounds, and matches those sounds against a massive library of words and phrases to predict what was actually said. For viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, this improvement has quietly ② transformed everyday access to video content that once required a human transcriber and a considerable amount of time to caption properly. The system still ③ excels at overlapping speakers, strong accents, and specialized vocabulary such as medical or technical terms, occasionally producing captions that are unintentionally funny. Even with these ④ flaws, most users agree that imperfect captions are far more ⑤ useful than no captions at all.

Value-based consumption refers to the practice of spending money on products or experiences that align with a person's personal beliefs, even if cheaper alternatives exist. Rather than simply seeking the lowest price, value-conscious consumers consider factors such as labor conditions, environmental impact, and community benefit before making a purchase. Some critics dismiss this approach as impractical, arguing 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 buying fewer, higher-quality items rather than accumulating cheap goods that wear out quickly. This shift also encourages companies to improve their practices, since consumer demand increasingly rewards transparency and responsibility. Ultimately, value-based consumption suggests that ___________.

Athletes preparing for major endurance events sometimes train for weeks at high altitude, where the air contains less oxygen than at sea level. In this thin air, the body responds by producing more red blood cells, which carry oxygen more efficiently through the bloodstream to working muscles. When these athletes return to sea level, their blood retains this elevated capacity for a limited period, potentially translating into improved endurance performance. However, the benefits of altitude training are far from guaranteed, since individual athletes respond quite differently to the same conditions, and some experience excessive fatigue that undermines the very training they hoped to complete. Many elite programs therefore follow a strategy known as live high, train low, in which _______________.

주어진 문장: Creating a convincing avatar, in other words, is far more complex than simply choosing a picture. The metaverse, a network of interconnected virtual worlds, has begun to generate job opportunities that did not exist just a few years ago. ( ① ) Companies now hire virtual world designers who build digital environments where users can socialize, shop, or attend events. Avatar designers create digital identities that represent users within these spaces, blending artistic skill with technical programming knowledge. ( ② ) Meanwhile, virtual event planners organize concerts, conferences, and product launches entirely within online platforms, reaching audiences that would be impossible to gather in person. ( ③ ) Some analysts remain skeptical, pointing out that the metaverse has not yet attracted the massive user base that early predictions promised. ( ④ ) Nevertheless, major companies continue investing heavily in this technology. ( ⑤ ) For students considering future careers, gaining skills in three-dimensional design and coding may prove valuable.

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.

주어진 문장: Without such improvements, even the most generous rewards program cannot compensate for a disappointing product. Building brand loyalty has traditionally been considered one of the most valuable goals in marketing, since loyal customers tend to spend more and recommend products to others. ( ① ) Companies invest significant resources in loyalty programs, offering points, discounts, and exclusive access to encourage repeat purchases. ( ② ) However, some critics argue that these programs manipulate consumers into staying with a brand out of habit rather than genuine satisfaction. ( ③ ) Genuine loyalty, they contend, should be earned through consistent quality and honest treatment of customers. ( ④ ) Furthermore, excessive focus on retaining existing customers can cause companies to neglect innovation, since they assume loyal buyers will continue purchasing regardless of improvements. ( ⑤ ) As markets become more competitive, relying solely on loyalty programs without addressing underlying product quality may ultimately backfire.