영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Picture a woman who ①receive a plain ceramic mug as a free gift at a conference and, later that afternoon, refuses to sell it for anything less than triple its price in the gift shop downstairs. Before she ②owned the mug, she would never have paid extra for it; once it became hers, however, its value in her mind rose sharply, simply because she now possessed it. Researchers have repeatedly observed this pattern across many everyday objects, from coffee mugs and concert tickets to office chairs and old furniture ③inherited from relatives. Owners consistently demand more money ④to give something up than buyers are willing to offer for that very same item, revealing a curious asymmetry rooted purely in possession itself. Some economists argue that this effect explains why negotiations over inherited property so often collapse, since each side quietly ⑤attaches a different value to what it currently holds.

Many people feel a ①sudden wave of anxiety when their smartphone battery is nearly dead or they have left it at home. This ②intense discomfort, known as nomophobia, is short for "no-mobile-phone phobia." Researchers explain that this fear develops because smartphones have become ③tightly linked to social belonging; missing a notification can feel like being cut off from friends. Therefore, experts suggest gradually reducing phone checks to ④strengthen this anxious dependence. Recognizing nomophobia as a real psychological pattern is the first step toward a ⑤healthier relationship with technology.

Marketers have long recognized that perceived scarcity, the sense that a product or opportunity is available only in limited quantity or for a limited time, can dramatically increase its ①desirability, even when the item's intrinsic qualities remain entirely unchanged. This phenomenon, known as the scarcity effect, operates on a simple psychological principle: when something appears ②easy to obtain, people tend to infer that it must be valuable, since truly worthless items rarely generate genuine competition for possession. A retailer who labels a product as "limited edition" or displays a countdown timer beside a discounted offer exploits this inference, prompting customers to make ③hurried purchase decisions they might otherwise postpone or reconsider. Experimental studies confirm that identical products are rated as more desirable and often command ④higher prices when framed as scarce than when the same products are presented as widely and continuously available. Consumers who later reflect calmly on such purchases frequently discover that the item's actual usefulness fell well short of the ⑤urgency they experienced at the moment of decision.

Behavioral economists have long studied how small changes in choice environments affect human decisions. (A) Imagine a cafeteria where a healthy salad sits at eye level while fried snacks rest on a low shelf. Nobody is forbidden from choosing the snacks, yet most people quietly pick the salad instead. This simple technique illustrates a nudge, a concept from behavioral economics that gently guides people toward better choices without restricting their freedom. (B) Unlike strict regulations or heavy taxes, nudges rely on subtle changes in design rather than force. Critics argue nudges alone cannot solve large environmental problems, but combined with stronger policies, they can meaningfully shift everyday habits toward sustainability. (C) Companies and governments increasingly apply nudges to encourage sustainable consumption. For example, some hotels print reminders on towels stating that most guests reuse them, which persuades new guests to do the same and save water. Similarly, energy bills that compare a household's usage with that of efficient neighbors often lead people to reduce electricity use.

As climate change accelerates, investors around the world are paying closer attention to how companies affect the environment and society. (A) Recently, however, many corporations have learned to boost their ESG scores without genuinely transforming their operations. Some firms publish glossy reports filled with impressive statistics while their actual carbon emissions barely decline, exploiting the fact that ESG evaluation systems still lack consistent global standards. (B) ESG management refers to a company's efforts to consider Environmental, Social, and Governance factors alongside profit when making business decisions. Investors increasingly rely on ESG ratings to judge whether a company is managed responsibly and sustainably over the long term. (C) This gap between appearance and substance has led critics to demand stricter, more transparent criteria for measuring corporate responsibility. Genuine ESG management, in contrast, requires measurable targets, independent audits, and long-term accountability rather than one-time donations or attractive slogans. Investors who wish to identify truly responsible companies should therefore examine detailed disclosures instead of trusting labels alone.

Facial recognition software has moved rapidly from airport security lines into shopping malls, schools, and even private apartment buildings. (A) Independent studies, however, have repeatedly found that many commercial systems perform less accurately on women and people with darker skin tones. (B) Proponents note that the technology can unlock doors, catch shoplifters, and speed up identity checks far faster than any human guard could manage. (C) Several cities have already reported cases in which an innocent person was detained based on a flawed match.

Career counselors often use simple questions to help students understand themselves. (A) A student who answers "playing music" might be encouraged to explore careers related to sound or performance. (B) For instance, a counselor might ask what activity makes a student lose track of time. (C) In this way, ordinary daily habits can become useful clues for choosing a future career.

주어진 문장: After all, ignoring proven facts might seem like an irrational thing to do. When people encounter solid scientific evidence about climate change, we might expect them to accept it without hesitation. ( ① ) However, many individuals still dismiss or downplay such evidence, and psychologists explain this pattern through a concept called motivated reasoning. ( ② ) Motivated reasoning refers to the tendency to process information in a way that protects one's existing beliefs, identity, or lifestyle rather than to pursue objective truth. ( ③ ) For example, a person whose livelihood depends on the fossil fuel industry may unconsciously search for reasons to doubt climate data, even while claiming to value scientific accuracy. ( ④ ) This happens because accepting uncomfortable facts can threaten a person's sense of self or demand costly lifestyle changes. ( ⑤ ) Therefore, simply presenting more data rarely persuades a committed skeptic. Instead, experts suggest connecting climate information to values the person already holds, such as family safety or economic stability, so that acceptance feels natural rather than threatening.

Slips of paper covered with unfamiliar Chinese characters are passed in through a slot in the door, and he answers them by consulting his rulebook line by line. Imagine a man locked inside a room who does not understand a single word of Chinese, yet who possesses a giant rulebook written entirely in English. ( ① ) By matching each incoming symbol to an appropriate outgoing symbol, he produces replies that appear fluent to anyone outside. ( ② ) From the perspective of a native speaker reading the responses, the room seems to understand Chinese perfectly. ( ③ ) Yet the man inside understands nothing at all; he is merely manipulating shapes according to formal rules, without grasping their meaning. ( ④ ) This scenario was designed to challenge the assumption that a computer running a sophisticated program truly understands language simply because it produces convincing output. ( ⑤ ) Passing every external test of intelligence, the argument suggests, is not the same as possessing genuine understanding, since syntax alone can never generate semantics.

This built-in schedule does not simply respond to the clock on the wall; it is shaped directly by light itself. Every cell in the human body follows an internal timer known as the circadian rhythm, a roughly twenty-four-hour cycle that governs when we feel alert and when we feel drowsy. ( ① ) This clock is regulated primarily by a tiny cluster of neurons in the brain that responds to light entering through the eyes. ( ② ) When morning sunlight strikes the retina, the cluster signals the body to suppress sleep hormones and raise body temperature, preparing us for activity. ( ③ ) As evening approaches and light fades, the same mechanism triggers the release of melatonin, a hormone that promotes drowsiness. ( ④ ) Because this rhythm evolved around the natural cycle of day and night, modern habits such as staying indoors under artificial light or working night shifts can push the internal clock out of sync with the external environment. ( ⑤ ) Such misalignment does not simply cause tiredness; it has also been associated with digestive problems and reduced concentration, suggesting that timing matters as much as total sleep hours.