영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

When people face a difficult decision, they often weigh not only the expected outcome of each option but also how painful it would feel ① to discover later that a different choice had been better. This anticipation of future regret, rather than the size of the potential loss itself, frequently becomes the dominant factor ② shaping the final decision. Investors, for example, sometimes continue holding a declining stock rather than ③ selling it, not because they expect the price to recover, but because selling would force them to confront the possibility ④ of having made a clear mistake. Researchers have found that people feel sharper regret over losses that resulted from taking action than over identical losses that resulted from doing nothing, which ⑤ help explain why so many individuals default to inaction whenever a decision feels uncertain.

Psychologist Roy Baumeister proposed a concept ①called ego depletion theory, which suggests that willpower functions like a muscle that gradually tires after repeated use. According to this theory, every act of self-control, from resisting a snack to concentrating on difficult homework, ②draws from the same limited mental resource. As this resource becomes depleted throughout the day, later decisions ③require more effort and are more likely to fail. For instance, someone who exercises discipline avoiding distractions all morning may struggle ④to resist checking a phone by evening. Likewise, dieters report that self-control weakens sharply at night, after hours of resisting food. Some researchers argue that short breaks, adequate sleep, and blood sugar levels can help restore this depleted resource. Although later studies have questioned how strong this effect is, the theory still ⑤offer a useful framework for understanding why willpower seems to fade throughout a long day.

The science club at Hanul High School is running a project called "Grow Light." It tests how different colors of light affect plant growth. Each week, members place ①identical bean sprouts under red, blue, and white light and record their height. At first, many students expected the white light to produce the tallest plants. However, the results showed that plants under red light grew ②noticeably faster than the others. The club's advisor explained this by comparing light to food. Just as people need certain nutrients to grow strong, plants absorb certain colors of light more ③efficiently than others. To make the data ④reliable, students repeat each trial three times and calculate the average. They also keep a shared notebook, recording sunlight, watering time, and temperature. Next month, the club plans to ⑤hide these findings at the school science fair.

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 motivation, but loving an activity does not always mean a person will become skilled at it professionally. Natural talent can lead to quick success, but without genuine interest, that success may eventually feel empty or exhausting. Career experts suggest ___________ instead of choosing only one side. Finding this balance takes time and self-reflection, but it often leads to a more satisfying and sustainable career.

Sociologist Mark Granovetter introduced an idea that seems contradictory at first glance, known as the strength of weak ties. According to this theory, people who see each other only occasionally, called weak ties, often provide more valuable information than close friends or family members, who are considered strong ties. This happens because strong ties tend to share the same social circles and, therefore, already possess similar knowledge. Weak ties, in contrast, move within different networks, which allows them to introduce ideas or opportunities that would otherwise remain unknown. For example, a former classmate rarely contacted might mention a job opening unavailable through one's immediate circle. Social media platforms have made maintaining such connections remarkably easier, letting users keep hundreds of loose acquaintances active without frequent face-to-face meetings. Consequently, these platforms _______________.

Online advertising algorithms analyze enormous amounts of user data to determine which products a person is most likely to purchase. As a result, the ads that appear on a person's screen often feel remarkably specific, sometimes referencing items browsed only minutes earlier. Supporters argue that this level of precision benefits consumers by reducing exposure to irrelevant advertisements and highlighting products they genuinely need. Critics, however, worry that constant exposure to tailored ads can encourage unnecessary spending, since algorithms are specifically designed to identify and exploit individual weaknesses. Because these algorithms operate largely without public oversight, few consumers fully understand how their personal data shapes what they eventually buy. Greater transparency, many experts argue, would ___________.

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 ___________.

Telemedicine has sparked debate among healthcare professionals about its proper role in modern medicine. (A) Critics counter that virtual visits cannot fully substitute for physical examinations, which remain essential for diagnosing certain conditions accurately. (B) Most experts, weighing both sides, conclude that telemedicine works best as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, traditional care. (C) Supporters point out that virtual visits save time and extend healthcare access to patients living far from hospitals.

주어진 문장: At first, this seemed like a small, sentimental gesture with little business value. Years ago, a small shoe company struggled to compete with larger, well-funded rivals in the market. ( ① ) Its products were solid, but customers rarely remembered the brand after a single purchase. One day, the founder decided to share the story behind the company: how her grandfather had once repaired shoes for factory workers who could not afford new pairs. She began printing this story on every shoebox and posting it across social media. ( ② ) Surprisingly, customers started responding not just to the shoes themselves but to the values the story represented. ( ③ ) Sales slowly increased as people felt they were supporting something meaningful rather than simply buying a product. ( ④ ) Other companies noticed this shift and began crafting their own narratives, hoping to create similar emotional connections. ( ⑤ ) Eventually, the founder realized that a compelling story, told honestly, could turn ordinary customers into loyal supporters.

주어진 문장: Yet this same tendency also carries a hidden drawback. Sociologists use the term homophily to describe the tendency of people to form connections with others who share similar backgrounds, opinions, or interests. ( ① ) This principle explains why classmates from the same major often become close friends, while coworkers with shared hobbies naturally gravitate toward one another. ( ② ) Because similarity reduces the effort required to understand another person's perspective, relationships built on shared traits tend to feel comfortable and require less negotiation. ( ③ ) However, this same comfort can narrow the range of viewpoints someone encounters, since surrounding oneself with similar people limits exposure to different ideas. ( ④ ) Social media platforms intensify this pattern through recommendation algorithms that suggest new friends based on shared interests or similar browsing history. ( ⑤ ) As a result, users often find their online circles becoming increasingly homogeneous, filled with people who think and behave much like themselves.