영어 모의고사 (자동 편성)

Minjun used to leave half of his lunch tray full of ①untouching rice and vegetables every day. Last spring, his class started a campaign ②called "Clean Plate Day" to reduce food waste. However, his teacher explained that leftover food thrown away every day ③adds up to a huge amount of waste. She compared uneaten food to money ④dropped carelessly on the street, which nobody bothers to pick up. He decided to take only what he could finish and ⑤to try new vegetables slowly.

Many students give up on their New Year goals because the goals feel too big ①to handle. A more effective approach is ②break a large goal into smaller, manageable steps. Instead of focusing on the entire year, try setting a goal for just one week, ③such as learning twenty new words. Once you complete that small step, ④move on to the next one, and gradually build toward the bigger goal. This method works because small tasks feel achievable, and completing them ⑤gives a sense of success.

The Hopeful Start Workshop will be held on January 10th at the Green Hill Community Center. This event ①helps students set clear and realistic goals for the new year. Participants will learn simple methods for ②writing goals that are specific and easy to measure. Each participant will receive a goal-planning notebook ③to use throughout the year. The workshop is open to all middle and high school students, and no experience ④are required. Students can register online through the center's website or by ⑤calling the front desk before January 8th.

Sociologist Mark Granovetter introduced an idea that seems ①contradictory at first glance, known as the strength of weak ties. According to this theory, people who see each other only ②occasionally, 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 ③similar 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 ④harder, letting users keep hundreds of loose acquaintances active without frequent face-to-face meetings. Consequently, these platforms function as efficient channels through which weak ties continue delivering ⑤fresh opportunities that close relationships simply cannot offer.

Psychologists have long studied a mechanism called the variable reward schedule, in which rewards arrive ①predictably rather than after every single action. Slot machines famously exploit this principle, and social media notifications operate on strikingly similar logic. When someone posts a photo, they cannot predict exactly when likes will appear, nor how many they will eventually receive. This uncertainty triggers a small burst of dopamine each time the phone is checked, regardless of whether the result is ②disappointing or thrilling. Consequently, users often refresh their feeds ③compulsively, hoping the next check will finally bring a satisfying reward. What makes this troubling is that technology companies ④deliberately designed notification systems using insights borrowed from gambling research, rather than stumbling upon them by accident. Such practices raise serious ethical questions about ⑤manipulating users' brains for profit.

To compensate for their carbon emissions, many individuals and companies now purchase carbon offsets, financial credits that fund projects such as planting trees or building renewable energy plants. The idea is appealing: paying for an equivalent amount of carbon to be absorbed elsewhere should cancel out the harm caused by activities like flying. However, critics argue that this system often functions as _______________. For example, a newly planted forest may take decades to absorb the promised carbon, and it could later burn down or be cut, erasing any benefit. Moreover, some offset projects would have happened anyway, meaning the credits fund nothing truly additional. Therefore, relying heavily on offsets allows businesses to maintain harmful practices while appearing responsible. Experts insist that offsetting should complement, not replace, direct reductions in fossil fuel use if the strategy is to remain credible.

Two years ago, I began volunteering at an animal shelter near my neighborhood on weekends. My tasks included feeding animals, cleaning cages, and helping visitors choose a pet to adopt. One rainy afternoon, a frightened puppy refused to eat, and I sat quietly beside it for over an hour until it finally relaxed. Watching the puppy trust me changed something inside me. I began researching careers in ___________, subjects I had never seriously considered before.

Starting a new diary or planner in January is easy, but keeping it useful all year is harder. This guide offers simple tips for using a planner to manage your New Year goals: ___________. First, write one clear goal at the top of each month so you always remember your main target. Second, break that goal into small weekly tasks instead of writing vague plans. Third, check your planner every morning and mark tasks as done when you finish them, and review your notes every Sunday. Finally, do not worry if you skip a day, since staying consistent matters more than being perfect.

Many teachers and parents worry that today's teenagers are losing the ability to read long, complex texts. (A) Other researchers disagree with this simple explanation, pointing out that teenagers today read constantly, just in different forms, such as text messages, captions, and online articles. (B) National test scores show a slow decline in reading comprehension over the past ten years, and some experts blame smartphones and short videos for shortening students' attention spans. (C) According to this view, the real problem is not that students read less overall, but that they rarely practice reading long passages without any interruption, as a recent study of monthly book readers suggested.

Advertisers rely on a range of psychological strategies to shape how consumers perceive their products. (A) One especially common strategy involves showing large crowds of satisfied customers, implying that popularity equals quality. (B) These strategies work most effectively when viewers remain unaware that they are being persuaded at all. (C) For this reason, teaching people to recognize such techniques can reduce their persuasive power significantly.