Oldest , Youngest , or in the Middle ?
Were you the first or last child in your family? Or were you a middle or the only child? Some people think it matters where you were born in your family. But there are different ideas about what birth order means.
Some people say that oldest children are smart and strong-willed. They are very likely to be successful. The reason for this is simple. Parents have a lot of time for their first child. They give him or her a lot of attention. So this child is very likely to do well. An only child will succeed for the same reasons.
What happens to the other children in a family? Middle children don’t get so much attention. So they don’t feel that important. If a family has many children, the middle ones sometimes get lost in the crowd. The youngest child, though, often gets special treatment. He or she is the “baby”. Often this child grows up to be funny and charming.
Do you believe these ideas about birth order? A recent study saw things quite differently. This study found that the first children believed in family rules. They didn’t take many chances in their lives. They usually followed their own ideas . They took chances. And they often did better in life.
Which theory about birth order do you believe? Look at your own family or you friends’ families. Decide which idea fits what you see.
This passage is about __________.

A．why the oldest children in a family usually succeed

B．why some children refuse to follow orders

C．ways in which birth order may affect how children grow up

D．how people have a lot of trouble agreeing about ideas

The statement that middle children “ sometimes get lost in the crowd” means that _________.

A．they have a poor sense of direction

B．they don’t get a lot of attention

C．they have a strong desire to be leaders

D．they can’t get along with others

The underlined word “ theory “ means ________.

A．idea

B．comparison

C．evidence

D．surprise

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