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.

Psychologist Leon Festinger introduced social comparison theory, which ①explains 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 ②who appears more successful, attractive, or accomplished. Social media platforms, filled with carefully edited photos and exaggerated achievements, ③provide 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 ④are somehow inadequate. Unlike comparing oneself with someone in a similar position, which can sometimes boost confidence, upward comparison frequently ⑤triggers envy, dissatisfaction, and lower self-esteem.

Psychologist Roy Baumeister proposed a concept called ego depletion theory, which suggests that ___________. According to this theory, every act of self-control, from resisting a snack to concentrating on difficult homework, draws from the same limited mental resource. As this resource becomes depleted 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 struggle 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 restore this depleted resource. Although later studies have questioned how strong this effect is, the theory still offers a useful framework for understanding why willpower seems to fade throughout a long day.

Social media researchers use the term context collapse to describe what happens when a single online post reaches audiences that would normally remain separate in offline life. In daily interactions, people naturally adjust their tone and content depending on whether they are speaking with family, close friends, or professional colleagues. However, a typical social media feed merges these distinct audiences into one undivided crowd, since a single post can simultaneously reach parents, employers, and casual acquaintances. Consequently, users often struggle to decide which version of themselves to present, knowing that a joke suitable for close friends might seem unprofessional to a supervisor. For example, a party photo posted for friends could later damage someone's reputation if an employer notices it. This tension forces many users to either self-censor heavily or maintain multiple separate accounts tailored to different audiences. Understanding context collapse _______________.

Have you ever noticed your mood shifting after scrolling through a friend's gloomy post online? 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. However, researchers have discovered that emotional contagion also occurs online, where only text or images are exchanged, without any physical presence at all. 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. This suggests that emotions online spread through carefully chosen words alone. Consequently, many experts now argue that ___________.

Many students assume that old social media posts disappear once enough time has passed. (A) A few years later, however, a teacher reviewing her application happened to notice an old, unkind comment she had posted and forgotten. (B) Minji, for instance, once left a careless comment mocking a classmate, assuming no one would ever see it again. (C) This experience taught her that a digital footprint, the lasting trail left by online activity, can resurface at unexpected moments.

Imagine a classroom discussion where nearly everyone seems to support one viewpoint. (A) As more silence accumulates, the minority opinion appears rarer than it truly is, discouraging even more people from speaking. (B) A student who privately disagrees might quickly sense this imbalance and decide to remain quiet rather than face disapproval. (C) This exact pattern, described by the spiral of silence theory, also unfolds across entire societies and online communities.

This dopamine-driven cycle explains why so many people check their phones dozens of times throughout the day without even realizing it. (A) Neuroscientists have found that the anticipation of a possible reward, not the reward itself, produces the strongest dopamine response in the brain. (B) In other words, the brief moment of waiting to see how many likes a post receives can feel more exciting than the actual number that appears. (C) Because this anticipation is so powerful, technology designers intentionally build delays and randomness into how notifications are delivered.

주어진 문장: This constant tracking allows algorithms to build a detailed profile of each user's interests over time. Internet activist Eli Pariser introduced the term filter bubble to describe a phenomenon created by online algorithms. Social media platforms and search engines constantly track which links users click and how long they linger on certain posts. ( ① ) Based on this data, algorithms predict what each individual is most likely to enjoy and quietly prioritize similar content in future results. ( ② ) As a result, two people who type the same search query can receive strikingly different results, each tailored to personal history. ( ③ ) This automatic filtering happens silently, without users ever deciding to limit what they see. ( ④ ) Consequently, many people gradually lose access to viewpoints that challenge their existing beliefs, even though they never intended to avoid them. ( ⑤ ) Pariser warned that this invisible curation could weaken democratic debate by narrowing public discussion. Therefore, some experts argue that platforms should reveal how content is filtered, letting users knowingly escape their own bubbles.

주어진 문장: Yet this same tendency also carries a hidden drawback. Sociologists use the term homophily to describe the tendency of people to form connections with others who share similar backgrounds, opinions, or interests. ( ① ) This principle explains why classmates from the same major often become close friends, while coworkers with shared hobbies naturally gravitate toward one another. ( ② ) Because similarity reduces the effort required to understand another person's perspective, relationships built on shared traits tend to feel comfortable and require less negotiation. ( ③ ) However, this same comfort can narrow the range of viewpoints someone encounters, since surrounding oneself with similar people limits exposure to different ideas. ( ④ ) Social media platforms intensify this pattern through recommendation algorithms that suggest new friends based on shared interests or similar browsing history. ( ⑤ ) As a result, users often find their online circles becoming increasingly homogeneous, filled with people who think and behave much like themselves.