영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Whenever someone learns that I spend hours drawing comics that almost nobody else ever sees, they usually ask why I ①bothering, since the work will never be published or praised by a large audience. For a long time, I struggled to answer that question honestly, ②assuming that art only counted as worthwhile once other people recognized it. Watching my younger brother build enormous, pointless block towers purely for the joy of knocking them down, though, ③helped me understand something I had been missing. He never once asked whether his tower was good; he simply needed to build the version of it that existed in his head before he could feel satisfied. Creating something, I now believe, often serves the creator first, ④giving shape to a feeling or idea that would otherwise stay vague and unexpressed. Whether or not anyone else ever sees the result, that private act of shaping an idea into something real still seems ⑤to matter enormously.

When people discuss climate change, they often focus only on rising temperatures or melting ice, ①treating it as a purely scientific issue. However, the concept of climate justice reminds us that the causes and consequences of climate change are ②distributed unevenly across the globe. Wealthy, industrialized nations have historically released the largest share of greenhouse gases while building their economies, yet developing nations, ③which contributed comparatively little, frequently suffer the most severe droughts and floods. This gap between responsibility and suffering ④raises a serious ethical question that science alone cannot answer. For example, a farming community in a low-income country may lose its entire harvest to an unusual flood, even though its members have never owned a car or ⑤flying on a plane. Therefore, tackling climate change requires more than new technology; it demands fair policies supporting the very communities least responsible for causing the crisis.

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 ①would brought greater benefits. This bias helps explain why many households hesitate ②to 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 ③requires no immediate effort. In contrast, switching demands research, upfront cost, and trust in unfamiliar technology, all of which can ④seem 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 ⑤reluctant 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.

Sociologist Erving Goffman argued that people constantly perform for others, much like actors ①managing their image on a stage, a concept known as impression management. This idea applies vividly to social media, where users select flattering photos and delete posts ②that might damage their reputation. Such careful curation allows people ③to present an idealized version of themselves that emphasizes achievements while hiding struggles or ordinary moments. However, when this performance becomes constant, a troubling gap can form between one's authentic self and the polished character ④displaying online. Maintaining that gap requires considerable emotional energy, and studies suggest it often leads to anxiety and exhaustion. Furthermore, comparing one's own carefully staged life to others' equally staged posts can distort what people believe is normal. Therefore, individuals should recognize that some self-presentation online is inevitable, but they must also protect space where imperfection ⑤is allowed to remain visible.

When choosing a future career, students often face a common question: should I follow what I love, or what I am good at? Passion can provide strong ①motivation, pushing a person to practice for hours without feeling tired. However, loving an activity does not always mean a person will become ②unskilled at it professionally. On the other hand, natural talent can lead to quick success, but without genuine interest, that success may eventually feel ③empty or exhausting. Career experts suggest looking for an ④overlap between the two instead of choosing only one side. Finding this balance takes time and self-reflection, but it often leads to a more ⑤satisfying and sustainable career.

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 ①minimal responsibilities that previous generations rarely encountered, since a single careless decision can expose millions of people's private information. Some argue that strict regulations should govern data collection, even if such rules ②slow innovation and increase costs for businesses. Others insist that self-regulation within companies, guided by clear ethical training, can protect consumers just as ③effectively without stifling progress. Most experts agree that professionals handling sensitive data must be trained not only in technical skills but also in ethical ④decision-making. Universities have begun adding data ethics courses, recognizing that future employees will need to ⑤balance innovation with responsibility.

Having grown up with smartphones and social media, they research products ①extensively online before making even small purchases. Unlike older generations, who often valued brand loyalty above all else, many members of Generation Z ②prioritize a company's values, switching brands easily if one no longer matches their beliefs. They also tend to ③favor secondhand and resale platforms, viewing sustainability as an important factor. Peer recommendations shared through short videos frequently carry ④less weight than traditional celebrity endorsements, since viewers see these creators as relatable rather than distant figures. Businesses that fail to adapt to these preferences risk losing an entire generation of potential customers, so many companies now invest in ⑤authentic engagement.

Soojin started posting short cooking videos on her phone during her last year of high school, never imagining it could become a career. At first, only a handful of friends watched her clips, and she nearly quit after several months without noticeable growth. Still, she quickly learned that being a creator demanded constant work, since algorithms rewarded frequent uploads and audiences expected fresh content daily. Looking back, Soojin realizes that ___________.

주어진 문장: Researchers have found that people who use this method are significantly more likely to follow through on their goals than those who rely on willpower alone. Last January, Minji wrote the same resolution she always wrote: study English for an hour every day. ( ① ) By February, she had already quit, just as in previous years. Frustrated, she asked her teacher why her willpower always failed, and learned about a concept called implementation intentions. ( ② ) This idea, developed by psychologists, means forming a specific if-then plan that links a certain situation to a certain action in advance. ( ③ ) Instead of vaguely intending to study more, Minji made a precise plan: if she finished dinner, then she would study for thirty minutes. ( ④ ) She also prepared a backup plan: if she felt too tired, then she would study for just ten minutes instead of skipping entirely. ( ⑤ ) Because these plans removed the need to decide anything in the moment, starting became far easier for Minji. By December, she had studied for eleven straight months, proving that clear if-then plans beat vague intentions.

주어진 문장: Because the number of likes a post will receive is never guaranteed, every notification carries a small element of suspense. Psychologists have long studied a mechanism called the variable reward schedule, in which rewards arrive unpredictably rather than after every single action. ( ① ) Slot machines famously exploit this principle, and social media notifications operate on strikingly similar logic. ( ② ) When someone posts a photo, they cannot predict exactly when likes will appear, nor how many they will eventually receive. ( ③ ) This uncertainty triggers a small burst of dopamine each time the phone is checked, regardless of whether the result is disappointing or thrilling. ( ④ ) Consequently, users often refresh their feeds compulsively, hoping the next check will finally bring a satisfying reward. ( ⑤ ) What makes this troubling is that technology companies deliberately designed notification systems using insights borrowed from gambling research, rather than stumbling upon them by accident. Such practices raise serious ethical questions about manipulating users' brains for profit. Therefore, people must consciously recognize this hidden mechanism and set firm limits on their checking habits.