ADVANCED 1 – GOLD – READING TASK – FEBRUARY 2021

Read the article about personality. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the
sentences A–G the one which fits each gap (1–5). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to
use. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Personality types
Why do we have the personalities we have? There has been a long debate over whether we develop our
personality as we grow up, or whether we are born with our fundamental personality. Many believe it is
somewhere between these two. 0 ___ D____ . However, one factor which is often overlooked is whether we
are the eldest, middle, youngest or an only child. In fact, researchers have found quite defined personality types
for each group, suggesting that the order we are born in has an influence on what we are like. In this article, we
will look at the characteristics that children might have and why this happens. We will also see why three siblings
who had the same upbringing might be very different from each other.

The firstborn child often seems like a mini version of their parents; they are responsible, reliable and cautious. The
reason for this kind of personality is the care and expectation put on the first child, where the parents are overjoyed
with any achievement and terrified of any possible danger. 1. _____________

The middle child is often a co-operative peacemaker that has to negotiate with both the oldest and youngest child.
As such, they become very skilled at dealing with people. 2. This is a role which is very much
needed for this child as they deal with their forceful older sibling, and carefree younger sibling.

This brings us to the youngest, who are the free and independent children of the group. 3 _______ . So these
children have a sense of freedom which is often missing from the other groups, and as such they rely on their
charm and their sense of fun to mix with others. These children also often feel the most secure as they, as the
’baby’, often charm their family who support them emotionally and physically.

Lastly, you may think that only children have a rather lonely life without any brothers or sisters to play with.
4 ________ . Often, they are intelligent and resourceful, with the ability to cope with things alone and the
maturity to talk to adults better than other groups. They also have a sense of responsibility similar to that of the
eldest children.

So, can the behaviour of mothers and fathers affect these personality types? The most obvious answer is yes.
5 _________ . Perhaps awareness is the first step towards changing these patterns of personality, for, in the
end, nobody likes to think that their personality in life is determined so clearly at birth. Children can grow up to be
whatever, and whoever they want.

A. Often, they are high achievers and experience a sense of loss when a second child comes along.
B. By understanding that the order of birth has an effect on personality, parents can think about how they might
treat their children differently, altering this parenting pattern if desired.
C. Social ability is generally the talent of this group, and they often build up a tight network of friends who act as
their second family.
D. There are many factors which are known to affect our personality, such as genetics, gender and the social
life we grow up within.
E. However, this fact doesn’t seem to negatively affect these children.
F. In their case, their parents aren’t as concerned with their upbringing as they are already experienced in
parenthood.
G. We need to find ways for children to look at their personality type and identify the best kinds of hobbies and
careers that will benefit them most.