영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Many teachers and parents worry that today's teenagers are ①gaining the ability to read long, complex texts. National test scores show a slow ②decline in reading comprehension over the past ten years, and some experts blame smartphones and short videos for shortening students' attention spans. Other researchers disagree with this simple explanation. They point out that teenagers today read constantly, just in different forms, such as text messages, captions, and online articles. According to this view, the real problem is not that students read less overall, but that they rarely practice reading long passages without any ③interruption. A team of researchers recently found that students who read at least one full book every month scored ④noticeably higher on comprehension tests than students who mainly read short online posts. This result suggests that the format of reading, rather than simple screen time, may be the more important factor behind the ⑤changing scores.

Building a reading habit does not usually start with a big decision to read more. It often starts with very ①small, easy steps. Some students keep a book in their bag so that they always have something to read while waiting for a bus. Others choose a fixed time each day, like right before bed, and read for just ten minutes. These small routines work because they ②increase the effort needed to begin. Once a student sits down and opens a book, continuing to read the next page feels much ③easier than the first step of starting. Experts also suggest setting a very ④low daily goal, such as one page, instead of a strict page count that feels like homework. Over weeks, these tiny actions add up, and reading slowly becomes something the student simply does, rather than something the student has to ⑤force.

Many schools give students a list of recommended books at the start of each year. Choosing these books is not as simple as picking ①well-known titles. Teachers must think about a wide range of student interests, not just their own favorites. A good list should also include stories from ②different cultures and different kinds of characters, so that every student can find someone to relate to. Reading level matters too; a book that is too difficult can make a student ③give up on reading altogether, while a book that is too easy may feel boring. Teachers often ask students for feedback after they finish a book, and they slowly update the list based on what students actually ④ignored. In the end, the best recommended list is not fixed forever; it keeps changing to match the readers it is meant to ⑤serve.

Role-playing these scenarios in advance helps children respond quickly under pressure, rather than freezing because the situation feels unfamiliar and confusing. Experts also emphasize that _______________, since hesitation caused by politeness can cost precious seconds in a genuine emergency.

Students often groan when a classic novel appears on their reading list, complaining that the language feels old-fashioned and the plot moves too slowly. It is true that classic literature can be harder to read than a modern bestseller. Yet this very difficulty is part of why classics remain valuable for young readers today, because _______________. Beyond language training, classic novels also explore themes such as jealousy, ambition, and loss that have not changed much across centuries.

Even highly capable individuals can make disastrous collective decisions once they are absorbed into a tightly knit group, a phenomenon psychologist Irving Janis termed groupthink. Within cohesive committees, boards, and advisory councils, members often prioritize consensus and group harmony over a rigorous evaluation of alternatives, silencing doubts rather than risking the discomfort of dissent. Sociologists extend this analysis beyond small committees, noting that entire organizations can develop cultures that reward conformity and punish employees who raise inconvenient questions. Historical inquiries into policy failures and corporate disasters frequently reveal that critical information existed within the organization but never reached decision makers, not because it was hidden, but because _______________.

When a customer opens a company's website at midnight with a billing question, an actual employee is unlikely to be available, which is exactly the gap that customer service chatbots were built to fill. These programs can instantly answer common questions, track packages, and process simple refunds without making anyone wait on hold. Yet the technology has clear boundaries. When a customer's problem is unusual, emotionally charged, or simply does not fit the chatbot's script, _______________. Many companies have responded by designing chatbots to recognize their own limits, automatically transferring a frustrated customer to a human agent.

Only a decade ago, translation apps produced sentences so awkward that users often laughed at the results rather than trusting them. (A) Frequent travelers now point their phone cameras at street signs and receive an instant translation overlaid on the screen, thanks to this leap in accuracy. (B) Even so, the technology still struggles with humor, sarcasm, and cultural nuance, areas where a single wrong word can completely change the intended meaning. (C) Today, many of these apps rely on neural networks that analyze entire sentences at once, capturing context instead of translating word by word.

Yet not everyone is convinced that turning reading into a game is entirely positive. A growing number of teenagers are joining book clubs that exist only on their phones. ( ① ) These apps let users track how many pages they read each day, write short reviews, and join group chats about a chosen book. ( ② ) Some students say the apps make reading feel less lonely, because they can share their honest reactions the moment they finish a chapter instead of waiting for a weekly meeting. ( ③ ) The apps also use gentle reminders and reading streaks to keep members motivated, turning a private habit into a small social game. ( ④ ) However, a few teachers worry that constant notifications from a reading app can pull attention away from the book itself, since users may spend more time chatting about the story than actually reading it. ( ⑤ ) Despite this concern, many students report that the sense of community keeps them reading books they would have quit halfway through if they had been reading completely alone.

Researchers sometimes call this ability perspective-taking, and it does not stay confined to the pages of a book. Psychologists have long wondered whether reading fiction can change how people treat others in real life. ( ① ) Several studies suggest that novels which describe a character's inner thoughts in detail can train readers to imagine what other people are feeling, a skill closely related to empathy. ( ② ) When readers follow a character through difficult choices, they practice stepping into someone else's perspective without any real risk to themselves. ( ③ ) This kind of mental practice, researchers argue, can carry over into everyday situations, making readers more likely to notice a classmate's hidden sadness or understand a stranger's unusual behavior. ( ④ ) Not every book produces this effect equally. Stories that stay focused only on fast action, with little attention to characters' inner lives, appear to build empathy far less than stories that slow down to explore emotion. ( ⑤ ) For this reason, some psychologists now recommend that young readers balance fast-paced adventure novels with quieter stories about ordinary people and their feelings.