Sinmokgo Midterm 2026
Complete Answer Key

(A) Aunt's Handmade Jewelry My aunt has been making beautiful handmade jewelry for years. Every weekend, she sells her necklaces and bracelets at a local market. When I went to help her last weekend, most of her jewelry was already sold out. She smiled, but I could tell she was disappointed because she didn't have enough materials or time to make more.

That evening, I looked at her tools and beads and realized she simply needed more supplies and work space. Then I had an idea — a crowdfunding campaign! With support, she could expand her workspace, buy more materials, and create more designs. In return, we could offer supporters exclusive handmade accessories. We planned that she could make about 300 pieces in four months. The total cost for materials, tools, and packaging would be around $8,000, so we set a funding goal of $10,000 and a three-month campaign period.

After our application was approved, I made a video showing her design process and explaining why her work is meaningful. At the end, I asked for support and shared the video online. Soon, people began to notice her work and support our campaign.

(B) Grandparents' Organic Jam My grandparents sell organic jam at the local market every weekend. When I went to help them last weekend, they had already sold out. They didn't have enough strawberries to make more jam.

That evening, ① I sat by the window and looking at the empty field behind their house. Then I had an idea: the field would be the perfect place for a greenhouse. With a greenhouse, they could grow more strawberries and make more jam. I decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to make this idea possible.

My grandparents were excited when I shared the plan. With support from investors, we could build a greenhouse and increase production. In return, ② we could send jars of organic jam investors as a reward.

Next, we worked out the details. We planned an 8-by-12-foot greenhouse that would cost about $4,000 in total, including miscellaneous costs. After building it, we could plant strawberries and expect a harvest in about four months. ③ It would take a few additional weeks to turn the strawberries into jam. We set a funding goal of $5,000 and a campaign period of three months.

I felt excited as I completed the application to launch the campaign. ④ Within a week, it approved, and funding began. To make a strong first impression, I created a video about my grandparents and their jam. ⑤ I showed how they grow strawberries without chemicals and included clips of them made jam with natural ingredients. I also explained the plan for the greenhouse and asked for support.

After editing the video, I shared it on social media. Soon, more people began to hear about our campaign.

Crowdfunding Guide · 본문 Crowdfunding is a way of raising money for a product, company, or charity. Crowdfunding is especially advantageous for individuals or small companies that can't (A) [attract / subtract] big investors. If the campaign is successful, the investors receive direct rewards for their contribution.

Before (B) [begin / beginning] your campaign, be sure to plan all the production details. Decide how many products you will make and how long production will take. Clear planning helps (C) [potential / uninterested] investors understand your schedule and trust your project. Once your plan is complete, remember to set your funding goal high enough to complete the project and provide rewards for investors. Consider all the necessary costs before deciding on the amount.

For a successful crowdfunding campaign, promoting it is necessary. You should consider making a video. This allows investors to get to know you and learn about your product. In the video, describe your situation clearly and show your product and its importance. Don't forget to include a direct request for support at the end. During a campaign, (D) [it / this] is important to send investors updates every week. Through the update, the investors will be able to track the progress of the campaign.

Golden Windows · 본문 After working hard all day long, a boy would go up to the top of a hill and look across at another hill. On this far hill stood a house with windows of gold and diamond. They shone at sunset, but after a while, the fascinating light disappeared. The boy supposed that the people in the house closed the shutters because it was dinner time.

One day, the boy's father called him over and said, "You have been a good boy and have earned a holiday. Take the day off but try to learn something important." The boy thanked his father and kissed his mother. (1) 빵 한 조각을 들고서, 그는 황금빛 창문이 있는 집을 찾기 위해 떠났다.

His journey was enjoyable. His bare feet made marks in the white sand. When he looked back, the footprints seemed to be following him and keeping him company. His shadow too stayed beside him and would dance or run with him as he pleased. Before long, he felt hungry, so he sat down by a stream to eat his bread and drink the clear water. He scattered the remaining pieces of bread for the birds as his mother had (2) 그에게 하라고 가르쳤다 and went on his way.

(A) 주어진 글 After a long day's work, a boy would climb a hill and gaze at a distant house whose windows glowed like gold in the setting sun. One day, he set out to find it, but when he finally arrived, he was disappointed to see that the windows were only plain glass. A kind woman and her daughter welcomed him, and when he asked about the golden windows, the girl told him that he had mistaken which house had them.

(B) It was dark when the boy finally returned home, but the windows of his home were shining with the light of lamps, just like he had seen from the top of the hill. His family welcomed him warmly. "Have you had a good day?" asked his mother. "Yes," the boy had had a very good day. "And have you learned anything?" asked his father. "Yes!" said the boy. "I have learned that our house has windows of gold and diamond!"

(C) Then he told the girl that he must go, and he gave her his best pebble, a white one with a red stripe that he had carried with him for a year, and she gave him three horse chestnuts, one red, one spotted, and one white. He promised to come again, but he did not tell her what he had learned. The girl stood in the light of the sunset and watched him go.

(D) "You have come the wrong way!" she said. "Come with me. I will show you the house with the golden windows, and then you will see for yourself." The girl told him that the golden windows could only be seen at sunset. "Yes, I know that!" said the boy. They went to a high place and saw a house with windows of gold and diamond on a hill far away, just as the boy had seen before. And when they looked again, the boy recognized that it was his own home.

30-day Challenge · 본문 A few years ago, I felt like I was stuck in a rut, so I decided to follow in the footsteps of the great American philosopher, Morgan Spurlock, and try something for 30 days. The idea is actually pretty simple. Think about something you've always wanted to add to your life and try it for the next 30 days. It turns out 30 days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit - like ⓐ removing the news from your life.

There are a few things I learned while ⓑ done these 30-day challenges. The first was, instead of the months ⓒ flying by, forgotten, the time was much more memorable. This was part of a challenge I did to take a picture every day for a month. And I remember exactly where I was and what I was ⓓ doing that day. I also noticed that as I started to do more and harder 30-day challenges, my self-confidence grew. I went from desk-dwelling computer nerd to the kind of guy who bikes to work. For fun! Even last year, I ended up hiking up Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. I would never have been that adventurous before I started my 30-day challenges.

I also figured out that if you really want something badly enough, you can do anything for 30 days. Have you ever ⓔ want to write a novel? Every November, tens of thousands of people try to write their own 50,000-word novel, from scratch, in 30 days. It turns out, all you have to do is write 1,667 words a day for a month. So I did. By the way, the secret is not to go to sleep until you've written your words for the day. You might be ⓕ sleep-depriving, but you'll finish your novel. Now is my book the next great American novel? No. I wrote it in a month. It's awful. But for the rest of my life, if I meet John Hodgman at a TED party, I don't have to say, "I'm a computer scientist." No, no, if I want to, I can say, "I'm a novelist."

So here's one last thing I'd like to mention. I learned that when I made small, sustainable changes, things I could keep doing, they were more likely ⓖ to sticking.

There's nothing wrong with big, crazy challenges. In fact, they're a ton of fun. But they're harder to maintain. When I gave up sugar for 30 days, day 31 looked like this.

Maternal Devotion · 본문 Maternal devotion is a powerful and ⓐ universal force that extends beyond the boundaries of human society and into the wild. In various species, (1) mothers exhibit remarkable care for their young, ensuring their safety and growth.

Orangutans are known for their extraordinary maternal care. Orangutan mothers take care of their babies for six to seven years. Young orangutans rely entirely on their mothers for food and transportation for the first two years. Mothers also teach their ⓑ offspring where to find food, what to eat, and how to eat it. Furthermore, mothers construct new homes every night to share with their little ones, which makes their ⓒ bond even stronger. The dedication of orangutan mothers is crucial for the survival of this species.

Bears dwelling in the Arctic provide another vivid example of maternal love. Female polar bears typically give birth to one to three babies, with twins being the most common. This event occurs between November and January, in dens that the mother carefully prepares in advance. In general, adult female bears give birth every three years. After giving birth, the mother depends ⓓ solely on her stored fat to take care of herself and her young. The den serves as a secure and warm home, ⓔ guarding them against the harsh Arctic elements.

In conclusion, these examples demonstrate (2) the powerful bond between mothers and their young is not unique to humans but shared across many species. Whether in the forests or the Arctic, maternal love remains an influential force vital for the development of a variety of life forms within our natural world.

Ingroup Copying · 본문 The emphasis on learning from the ingroup takes little account of individuals. Amazingly, while we may dislike some of the people in our ingroup, we still copy them. Wilks, Kirby, and Nielsen studied copying behavior in the context of observing how to open a puzzle box. Ingroups and outgroups were distinguished in a minimal way, using simple color coding of wristbands. The children did not simply like all members of their ingroup; they disliked those who behaved in an antisocial fashion. Indeed, they liked these antisocial ingroup members less than the prosocial members of an outgroup. Still, their dislike did not affect their tendency to copy ingroup behavior more closely than outgroup behavior. This overimitation reveals that we are not copying in order to learn how to open a box most efficiently. We want to learn how to do it in the proper way — in other words, conforming to the rules and conventions of the ingroup. This will be appropriately demonstrated even by antisocial ingroup members.

Numbers vs. Words · 본문 Some researchers view spoken languages as incomplete devices for capturing precise differences. They think numbers represent the most neutral language of description. However, when our language of description is changed to numbers, we do not move toward greater accuracy. Numbers are no more appropriate 'pictures of the world' than words, music, or painting. While useful for specific purposes (e.g. census taking, income distribution), they omit information of enormous value. For example, the future lives of young students are tied to their scores on national tests. In effect, whether they can continue with their education, where, and at what cost depends importantly on a handful of numbers. These numbers do not account for the quality of schools they have attended, whether they have been tutored, have supportive parents, have test anxiety, and so on. Finally, putting aside the many ways in which statistical results can be manipulated, there are ways in which turning people's lives into numbers is morally insulating. Statistics on crime, homelessness, or the spread of a disease say nothing of people's suffering. We read the statistics as reports on events at a distance, thus allowing us to escape without being disturbed. Statistics are human beings with the tears wiped off. Quantify with caution.

Temptation Bundling · 본문 Temptation bundling involves the coupling of instantly gratifying "want" activities (e.g., watching the next episode of a habit-forming television show, checking Facebook, receiving a pedicure, eating an indulgent meal) with engagement in a "should" behavior that provides long-term benefits but requires the exertion of willpower (e.g., exercising at the gym, completing a paper review, spending time with a difficult relative)." Wharton professor Katy Milkman led ⓐ a research project called Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym, where participants could only have access to their audio devices while at the gym. This uses a tempting habit — listening to that awesome audiobook — and combines it with a habit people would like to build, but may otherwise feel forced to put off, like exercising. And the really amazing thing is what happened after it was over: ⓑ nearly two-thirds opted to pay to have gym-only access for their devices!

15. Gene Editing · 본문 Assuming gene editing in humans proves to be safe and effective, it might seem logical, even preferable, to correct disease-causing mutations at the earliest possible stage of life, before harmful genes begin causing serious problems. Yet once it becomes possible to transform an embryo's mutated genes into "normal" ones, there will certainly be temptations to upgrade normal genes to superior versions. Should we begin editing genes in unborn children to lower their lifetime risk of heart disease or cancer? What about giving unborn children beneficial features, like greater strength and increased mental abilities, or changing physical characteristics, like eye and hair color? The pursuit for perfection seems almost natural to human nature, but if we start down this slippery slope, we may not like where we end up.

16. Underparenting · 본문 Parenting experts say children need to learn independence and resilience. But cities and suburbs don't offer safe walk and bike routes to school, malls kick teenagers out on the weekends, and free time disappears under Ⓐ a spreadsheet of activities. All of those "musts" take more of the parents' time or money to navigate, because the child can't do it on their own. As Darby Saxbe, a clinical psychologist, recently wrote in the New York Times, "Ⓑ underparenting requires structural change." Unlike most political experts, she's not just talking about economic policies like family leave and government-supported childcare. She's talking about actual physical structures, and the cultural change required to populate Ⓒ them. Ⓓ We need to "build back our tolerance for children in public spaces," she writes, "and create safe environments where lightly supervised kids can move around freely."

Piaget's Conservation · 본문 Jean Piaget illustrated this concept by pouring the same amount of water into two different glasses — one tall and narrow, the other short and wide — and asking children to compare them. Children younger than six or seven often say the taller glass has more water because the level is ① higher. As they grow, they come to understand the idea of conservation of volume on their own through ② indirect experiences like playing with water. Piaget argued that moral development works in a ③ similar way. It is not something children are simply born with or directly taught by adults. Instead, they build this understanding themselves through interactions with other children. For example, taking turns in a game is like pouring water between glasses — it helps them gradually ④ comprehend fairness. By around age five or six, playing and ⑤ cooperating with peers teaches children about fairness more effectively than direct instruction from adults.

Plant Communication · 본문 Plants can communicate, although not in the same way we do. Some express their ① discontent through scents. You know that smell that hangs in the air after you've mowed the lawn? Yeah, that's actually an SOS. Some plants use sound. Yes, sound, though at a frequency that we can't hear. Researchers experimented with plants and microphones to see if they could ② record any trouble calls. They found that plants produce a high-frequency clicking noise when stressed and can make ③ identical sounds for different stressors. The sound a plant makes when it's not getting watered differs from the one it'll make when a leaf is cut. However, it's worth noting that experts don't think plants are crying out in pain. It's more likely that these reactions are knee-jerk survival actions. Plants are living organisms, and their main objective is to ④ survive. Scents and sounds are their tools for ⑤ defending against things that might harm them.

Cartilage · 본문 Cartilage is extremely important for the healthy functioning of a joint, especially one that bears weight, like the knee. Imagine for a moment that you are looking inside your left knee as you walk down the street. When you shift your weight from your left leg to your right, the pressure on your left knee is released. The cartilage in your left knee then "drinks in" synovial fluid, much like a sponge absorbs water. When you take another step and transfer your weight back onto your left leg, much of this fluid is squeezed out of the cartilage. This continuous movement of fluid into and out of the cartilage allows it                   .

Promotion · 본문 Promotion deals with consumer psychology. We can't force people to think one way or another, and the clever marketer knows that promotion is used to provide information in the most clear, honest, and simple fashion possible. By doing so, the possibility of increasing sales goes up. Gone are the days when promotions were done in order to fool the consumer into purchasing something. The long term effect of getting a consumer to buy something they did not really want or need wasn't good. In fact, consumers fooled once can do damage to sales as they relate their experience to others. Instead, marketers now know that their goal is to identify the consumers who are most likely to appreciate a good or service, and to promote that good or service in a way that                   . Therefore, marketers must know where the interested consumers are, and how to reach them.

Hero vs Villain · 본문 What does it mean for a character to be a hero as opposed to a villain? In artistic and entertainment descriptions, ① it's essential about the author to establish a positive relationship between a protagonist and the audience. In order for tragedy or misfortune to draw out an emotional response in viewers, the character must be ② adjusted so as to be recognizable as either friend or enemy. Whether the portrayal is fictional or documentary, we must feel that ③ the protagonist is someone whose actions benefit us; the protagonist is, or would be, a worthy companion or valued ally. Violent action films are often filled with ④ dozens of incidental deaths of minor characters that draw out little response in the audience. In order to feel strong emotions, the audience must be ⑤ emotionally invested in a character as either ally or enemy.

Plastics Industry · 본문 We first need to understand the short but hidden history behind the plastics industry and how it became deeply ① rooted in our daily lives. Before plastic, people lived more sustainably, with ② much fewer waste problems than we face today. However, after the invention of plastic, its rapid adoption during World War II, and its explosion into consumer goods, plastic was everywhere. The growing industry came to ③ symbolizing the convenience and prosperity of the American dream. This dream came with a price. Over time, people began to notice the environmental impact, and the early seeds of today's environmental movement ④ were planted. However, the plastics industry was quick to counter these concerns, ⑤ launched campaigns that presented recycling as the solution to all our problems. They pushed the idea that pollution was the fault of consumers, not the corporations flooding the market with plastic.

Adopting the Teacher Mindset · 본문 Students often mistake familiarity with true mastery, ⓐ creating a dangerous "illusion of competence" where recognizing information feels like genuine knowledge, but they struggle when ⓑ asked to recall or apply it independently. This cognitive bias, strengthened by passive study methods, ⓒ leads learners to overestimate their understanding. Teaching materials (even informally or imaginatively) actively ⓓ countering this illusion by requiring deep processing, active recall, structured organization, and revealing gaps in knowledge. It introduces powerful methods like teaching imaginary students, peer-teaching in study groups, ⓔ employs the Feynman Technique, and writing explanations for others. Ultimately, ⓕ adopting the teacher mindset transforms surface familiarity into real mastery, exposing and filling gaps in knowledge and ensuring solid, reliable understanding.

(A) Likewise, the talented but self-effacing employee who "waits patiently" for a promotion, we tend to feel, will be waiting a long time; she ought to be trumpeting her achievements instead. In all such cases, patience is a way of psychologically accommodating yourself to a lack of power, an attitude intended to help you resign yourself to your lowly position, in theoretical hopes of better days to come.

(B) But as society accelerates, something shifts. In more and more contexts, patience becomes a form of power. In a world geared for hurry, the capacity to resist the urge to hurry — to allow things to take the time they take — is a way to gain purchase on the world, to do the work that counts, and to derive satisfaction from the doing itself, instead of putting off all your fulfillment to the future.

(C) The prospect of doing anything that you've been told will require patience simply seems unattractive. More specifically, though, it's disturbingly passive. It is the virtue that has traditionally been urged upon housewives, while their husbands led more exciting lives outside the home, or on racial minorities, told to wait just a few more decades for their full civil rights.

본문 We are now at a point of unprecedented genetic, cultural, and environmental power as a species, and we are linked to nearly every other person on Earth. ( ① ) We are embodied individuals trapped within limited time, but we are also networked data streams, memories, and influencers, and part of a grander humanity. ( ② ) Even if some environmental changes feel too permanent or overwhelming to reverse, we have the power to change the social justice systems that underlie and modulate their impacts on us. ( ③ ) Our decisions today have far-reaching impacts that place a responsibility on us to become good ancestors, to take the long view and time travel forward to imagine the well-being of billions of people whose lives will be lived in the world we are currently making. ( ④ ) This ancient, foundational philosophy ensures long-term sustainability by requiring leaders to consider the well-being of future generations. ( ⑤ ) In the precious few decades that Earth is ours, while we enjoy the gardens planted by our ancestors, we must not steal the shade from our descendants.

Conceptual Model · 본문 A conceptual model is an explanation, usually highly simplified, of how something works. It doesn't have to be complete or even accurate as long as it is useful. The files, folders, and icons you see displayed on a computer screen help people create the conceptual model of documents and folders inside the computer, or of apps or applications on the screen. In fact, there are no folders inside the computer — those are effective conceptualizations designed to make them easier to use. Sometimes these depictions can add to the confusion, however. When reading e-mail or visiting a website, the material appears to be on the device, for that is where it is displayed and used. But in fact, in many cases the actual material is "in the cloud," located on some distant machine. The conceptual model is of one, coherent image, whereas it may actually consist of parts, each located on different machines that could be almost anywhere in the world.