영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Time-management researchers frequently mention a principle ①known as Parkinson's Law, which states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. According to this idea, a task that could be finished in one hour will often stretch to fill an entire afternoon if that much time ②is scheduled for it. Students who set vague deadlines frequently experience this effect, spending extra hours ③refined a report that was already complete. Employees given a full week for a simple project may also delay meaningful progress until the final days, even though the actual work ④requires far less effort. This pattern happens partly because people unconsciously adjust their pace to match perceived urgency. Setting shorter, more specific deadlines can counter this tendency, forcing tasks to fit within a tighter and more realistic window. By recognizing how flexible time encourages unnecessary delay, individuals can complete assignments more efficiently ⑤without sacrificing quality.

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.

Minji spent nearly every evening ①watched Jimin, an online creator who streamed cooking videos and chatted casually with her viewers. Over several months, Minji began to feel as though she truly knew Jimin, ②laughing at her jokes and worrying whenever she mentioned having a difficult week. Whenever Jimin responded to a comment, even a simple one, Minji felt a small thrill of connection, as if they ③were becoming closer friends. One day, Minji excitedly waited outside a fan event, ④hoping that Jimin would recognize her from the countless messages she had sent. However, Jimin greeted her the same way she greeted every other stranger in line, ⑤without any hint of personal recognition.

Psychologist Roy Baumeister proposed a concept called ego depletion theory, which suggests that willpower functions like a muscle that gradually ①strengthens after repeated use. According to this theory, every act of self-control, from resisting a snack to concentrating on difficult homework, draws from the same ②limited mental resource. As this resource becomes ③depleted 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 ④struggle 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 ⑤restore this depleted resource.

As companies collect enormous amounts of personal data to improve their products and target advertisements, serious ethical questions have emerged about how that information should be handled. Employees who work with big data now face responsibilities that previous generations rarely encountered, since a single careless decision can expose millions of people's private information. Regardless of which approach prevails, most experts agree that ___________. Universities have begun adding data ethics courses to computer science programs, recognizing that future employees will need to balance innovation with responsibility.

Browsing an online store today often means chatting with an AI assistant that asks a few quick questions, such as budget or intended use, before suggesting a short list of products tailored to the answers. (A) Consumer advocates argue that stores should clearly explain what happens to this data, rather than burying the explanation in a lengthy privacy policy that almost no one reads. (B) Some shoppers, however, remain wary of how personal the questions can feel, wondering how much of that conversation is quietly stored and reused to influence future purchases. (C) Retailers report that shoppers who use these chatbots tend to complete purchases more often and return fewer items, since the guided conversation helps buyers choose products that actually fit their needs.

FOMO refers to the anxious feeling that arises when people believe they are missing out on rewarding experiences that others are having. (A) For instance, a student who sees photos of a gathering she missed may feel sudden regret, even though the event is already over. (B) This feeling often leads people to check their phones compulsively, which makes it hard to focus on tasks at hand. (C) Such experiences are common among heavy social media users, who constantly compare their lives with the curated posts of others.

As the metaverse develops, entirely new categories of professional work are emerging alongside it. (A) Virtual event planners, for instance, now organize concerts and conferences that take place entirely within digital platforms. (B) Some skepticism remains, since the technology has not yet attracted the enormous user base that early predictions promised. (C) Despite this uncertainty, major companies continue to invest heavily, betting that virtual spaces will eventually rival physical venues in importance.

Greenwashing has become a common strategy among companies eager to appear environmentally responsible. (A) For example, a company might use a green logo or the word "eco" without changing its actual production methods at all. (B) In contrast, genuine sustainability requires real changes, such as reducing waste or using renewable energy sources. (C) Often, this involves marketing language that suggests care for the planet while offering little real evidence.

Long before social media existed, people naturally clustered into groups based on shared traits. (A) These algorithms track patterns such as shared interests, mutual friends, and browsing habits to recommend new connections. (B) Neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces often reflected this tendency, as individuals gravitated toward others who resembled themselves. (C) Today, however, this same tendency operates through recommendation algorithms built into social media platforms.