Does Birth Order Affect Our Personalities? - Unit 5

C1 Advanced · Open Cloze · Ready for C1 Advanced 4th Edition Workbook, Macmillan Education

For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning.

According (0) ___ popular wisdom, our personalities are affected by (1) ___ we are the eldest, youngest or a middle child in a family. First-born children are supposed to be more responsible but also rather domineering – presumably owing (2) ___ the fact that they spend their childhood bossing younger siblings around. This means (3) ___ is only natural that first-borns should end up in leadership roles in adult life. Last-born children tend to be pampered by their parents and can (4) ___ away with behaviour that their older siblings would have been punished for. As a result, they grow up with a disrespect (5) ___ authority figures, especially their older siblings, and go on to become rebels and innovators. As (6) ___ middle children, they are said to share traits with their older and younger siblings and tend to be well balanced and happier. (7) ___ said, with no clear role in the family, they may also feel excluded and jealous. Appealing as this theory may be, statistical analysis does not back it up. Indeed, recent studies have shown (8) ___ or no effect of birth order on personality.

Does Birth Order Affect Our Personalities?

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