영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

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.

①Choosing the right club can shape how a student feels about school life. Many first-graders join a club simply because their friends ②are joining it. However, experts suggest that personal interest should always come before friendship. A club that ③match your interest keeps you motivated during a busy exam period. It also helps to think about how much time each club actually requires. Some clubs meet only once a week, while others ④practice almost every day. Skill level matters too, since a few clubs accept only experienced students. For this reason, most schools ⑤allow a short trial period before a final decision. During this period, new members can attend meetings without officially signing up. In the end, a good club should feel like a comfortable break from academic pressure.

Standard economic theory assumes that money is fungible, meaning that a dollar earned as salary is functionally ①identical to a dollar received as a tax refund or won in a lottery. In practice, however, people routinely sort their finances into separate mental accounts, treating money differently depending on its source or intended purpose. A household that would never dip into its retirement savings to pay for a vacation might nonetheless spend an unexpected bonus on that very trip without ②hesitation, even though both sums are, in strictly financial terms, equally available for either purpose. This ③compartmentalization can produce decisions that appear ④consistent when viewed through a purely rational lens: the same individual who diligently saves a portion of every paycheck may simultaneously carry high-interest credit card debt, effectively paying more to borrow than they earn on their savings. Mental accounting is not always harmful, however; by assigning specific categories to specific funds, individuals can also impose useful ⑤discipline on their spending, preventing money earmarked for essential needs from being diverted toward impulsive purchases.

In recent years, mental health experts have identified a distinct emotional response to environmental crisis, commonly called eco-anxiety. Eco-anxiety describes persistent worry, grief, or fear triggered by awareness of climate change and its consequences for the future. Although people of all ages can experience it, teenagers and young adults seem especially ①immune, since they anticipate living through decades of worsening conditions. Common symptoms include difficulty sleeping, a sense of ②hopelessness, and guilt over ordinary choices such as travel or diet. For example, some students report feeling ③paralyzed whenever they read alarming climate news, unable to focus on schoolwork or hobbies. However, experts emphasize that eco-anxiety is not a disorder to be eliminated but a ④natural reaction that can be channeled productively. Rather than avoiding the topic, young people are encouraged to join community projects, since taking constructive action tends to ⑤restore a sense of control and ease overwhelming distress.

The discovery of CRISPR gene-editing technology gave scientists a tool ①precise enough to correct a single mistaken letter in the human genome, raising hope for curing inherited diseases that have resisted treatment for generations. Yet the same precision that makes CRISPR so promising also makes it ②dangerous in the wrong hands. Editing a gene in a sperm, egg, or early embryo does not simply change one patient; it alters the genetic code passed down to every future generation, a decision no single person should be allowed to make ③alone. Scientific organizations around the world have therefore drawn a careful line, ⑤permitting gene editing to treat disease in existing patients while ④permitting any edit that would be inherited by their descendants. Critics worry, however, that as the technology becomes cheaper and more widely available, this line will become harder to enforce than it is to draw.

Opening most camera apps today reveals a row of filters that can smooth skin, brighten eyes, and reshape a jawline before a photo is even taken. What began as a playful novelty has become a default setting for many users, subtly adjusting nearly every selfie posted online. Psychologists have grown concerned about a specific consequence of this shift: _______________. Some social media platforms have responded by labeling heavily edited photos or banning certain filters that alter body shape.

Many students who reach their goals share one habit: they picture the goal clearly before they even start working. This process, called visualization, means imagining a goal in detail, often by drawing pictures or writing specific descriptions. For example, a student who dreams of studying abroad might make a board filled with photos of a foreign campus and a list of steps to get there. Seeing these images every day keeps the goal fresh in mind, and researchers have found that this simple habit works because ___________.

Climate change deniers often seem to ignore evidence that contradicts their views, and psychologists have a specific explanation for this behavior. (A) For example, someone whose job depends on fossil fuels may search for reasons to doubt the data, even while insisting that they respect science. (B) This concept, called motivated reasoning, describes how people process information in ways that protect their existing beliefs and lifestyles rather than pursue objective truth. (C) Rather than being a simple failure of intelligence, this pattern reflects a well-documented psychological tendency studied for decades.

As private companies develop the technology to mine asteroids for rare metals and water, a legal question once confined to science fiction has suddenly become urgent: who, if anyone, owns the resources of outer space? (A) Some governments have already passed domestic laws granting their own companies rights to material mined in space, a move other nations view as a unilateral attempt to settle a shared question. (B) Existing international treaties state that no nation may claim sovereignty over celestial bodies, but they say remarkably little about whether a private company may extract and sell what it finds there. (C) Supporters of space mining argue that new resources could ease shortages on Earth, while critics warn that treating space as an open frontier for extraction risks repeating past mistakes.

None of these individual passersby, however, has any direct evidence that the food itself is worth the wait. Consider how a line forms outside a small restaurant on an otherwise quiet street. ( ① ) The first few patrons may have arrived simply because of a personal recommendation or a delayed reservation, factors entirely unrelated to the restaurant's actual quality. ( ② ) As the line grows, passersby begin to notice it and, assuming that such popularity must be earned, decide to join the queue themselves. ( ③ ) Each additional person who joins makes the line appear even more compelling to the next passerby, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of imitation. ( ④ ) They are, in effect, relying entirely on the visible behavior of strangers as a proxy for information they do not personally possess. ( ⑤ ) The restaurant's true culinary merit, whatever it may be, has become almost irrelevant to the continued growth of the line.