영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

When Minji was in ninth grade, she ①posted a joking comment mocking a classmate's photo, never imagining anyone would remember it later. Three years passed, and she nearly forgot the comment ②existed, buried among hundreds of old posts. Last spring, she applied to join her school's student council, ③hoping her leadership experience would impress the selection committee. During the interview, however, one teacher mentioned ④having seen an old, unkind comment under Minji's name while reviewing applicants' profiles. She understood that digital footprints rarely disappear completely, even when the original posts ⑤was removed, because screenshots and memories often outlast the content itself.

Until last spring, Minji rarely thought twice about ①tossing a paper cup into the trash after finishing her coffee. Environmental issues seemed distant, something scientists and politicians should handle rather than an ordinary student like her. That changed when her class was assigned a documentary about plastic waste drifting through the ocean, footage she initially ②expected finding boring. Instead, watching seabirds mistake plastic fragments for food ③left her strangely unsettled, and she found herself thinking about the assignment long after class ended. The next morning, almost without deciding to, she ④slipped her old tumbler into her backpack instead of buying a disposable cup on the way to school. It felt like a small, meaningless gesture at first. However, as weeks passed, she realized that consistently choosing the tumbler, ⑤declining a plastic straw, and reusing a shopping bag were quietly adding up. Small choices, she discovered, become meaningful once repeated.

Biodegradable plastics have been promoted as a ①promising solution to plastic waste, since they are designed to decompose into natural substances rather than persist for centuries. Manufacturers derive these materials from renewable resources such as corn starch, blending them with additives that ②accelerate microbial breakdown once discarded. However, their environmental benefits are often exaggerated, largely because decomposition depends on specific conditions rarely found outside industrial composting facilities. For example, a bag labeled biodegradable may take years, not the weeks advertised, to break down in a landfill or ocean, where temperature and microbial activity remain ③high. In addition, when mixed with conventional plastics in recycling streams, they can ④contaminate the process, weakening the quality of materials produced afterward. Some engineers therefore compare biodegradable plastics to a bridge that leads nowhere unless paired with infrastructure that completes the journey. Ultimately, realizing their ⑤genuine potential requires not only technological refinement but also facilities capable of providing the precise conditions decomposition demands.

Over the past two decades, insights drawn from behavioral economics have moved beyond academic journals and into the machinery of government itself, reshaping how numerous public programs are designed and implemented. Tax authorities in several countries, for example, discovered that simply informing citizens how many of their neighbors had already paid overdue taxes on time substantially ①increased subsequent compliance rates, outperforming letters that merely threatened legal penalties for continued nonpayment. Public health agencies have applied similar principles to encourage preventive care, finding that appointment reminders phrased to emphasize the personal cost of a missed visit proved more ②ineffective than neutral reminders listing only the date and time. Employment offices redesigned job-seeking assistance programs around specific, actionable steps rather than general encouragement, discovering that participants who were asked to write down a concrete plan for the following week were considerably more likely to follow through than those who received only ③general advice. What unites these disparate interventions is a shared recognition that small, carefully tested adjustments to how choices are presented can produce measurable improvements in outcomes, often at a fraction of the cost required by traditional programs involving substantial financial incentives or extensive ④enforcement. This accumulated evidence has encouraged many governments to establish dedicated units tasked with applying behavioral insights ⑤systematically to policy problems across an increasingly broad range of domains.

When summer vacation began, I decided to make a daily schedule so that I would not waste my free time. At first, my plan was too ①strict, with study sessions packed back to back and almost no breaks. After only three days, I felt exhausted and gave up on the schedule completely. My older sister recommended setting two or three main goals for each day rather than filling every single hour, which sounded much more ②relaxed. I also learned to include short breaks between tasks, since resting actually ③helps me focus better afterward. Since making these changes, I have been able to follow my schedule much more ④consistently, and my vacation has become both productive and ⑤stressful.

Jian wanted to become a reader for years, but every time he picked up a thick novel, he felt overwhelmed and quickly closed it. His cousin, who had read dozens of books that year, told him about something called the two-minute rule. This rule states that a new habit should be shrunk to under two minutes, since a smaller starting point ___________. Instead of committing to a full chapter each night, Jian promised himself only to open a book and read one page.

Every day, we leave behind marks of the gases that warm our planet, much like footprints left in wet sand. These marks, often called our carbon footprint, come from small choices such as driving, eating, and using electricity. (A) For example, turning off lights when leaving a room reduces the energy that power plants must produce. Walking or biking to school instead of riding in a car also lowers the amount of gas released into the air. (B) In contrast, leaving devices plugged in all night quietly increases our footprint without our notice. Therefore, students who practice these simple habits regularly can shrink their footprint significantly. Small daily choices, repeated over time, become powerful tools for protecting the environment we all share. (C) Many students think that only large factories create these marks, but ordinary habits at home also matter greatly.

Not all obstacles to renewable energy are technical or financial; some are psychological. (A) In contrast, switching demands research, upfront cost, and trust in unfamiliar technology, all of which can seem 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 reluctant 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. (B) 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 would bring greater benefits. (C) This bias helps explain why many households hesitate to 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 requires no immediate effort.

주어진 문장: Yet not every worker benefits equally from these changes. Automation is transforming labor markets more quickly than economists predicted a decade ago. ( ① ) Factories once staffed by hundreds of workers now rely on robotic arms that assemble products with remarkable precision. ( ② ) This shift does not simply eliminate jobs; it also creates roles that never existed before, such as technicians who maintain robotic equipment. ( ③ ) Companies that invested early in automation often report steady increases in productivity, since machines handle repetitive tasks while employees focus on creative problem-solving. ( ④ ) Policymakers argue that retraining programs are essential to help displaced workers move into emerging fields. ( ⑤ ) Without such support, the benefits of automation may not be shared fairly across society.

I thought for a moment before answering that designing posters for school events always felt exciting. Yesterday, I visited my school's career counselor because I felt confused about my future. ( ① ) I told her that I enjoyed both science and art, but I could not decide which subject to pursue. ( ② ) She listened carefully and then asked me a simple question: what activities make me lose track of time? ( ③ ) She smiled and said that this kind of clue often reveals a genuine interest, more than any test score can. ( ④ ) She suggested that I try combining my two interests by exploring careers such as scientific illustration or product design. ( ⑤ ) Our short conversation gave me a clearer sense of direction than weeks of worrying alone had.