What Affects Our Personality?

(1) In his book about the family's influence on a personality the British psychologist Tom Hughes tells that our position in the family is the strongest factor that influences our personality.

(2) On his opinion, the oldest children get maximum attention from their parents, and the result is that they're usually quite self-confident people. They make good leaders. For example, the famous Prime Minister Winston Churchill was a firstborn child. The oldest children are often ambitious. They're more likely to go to university than their brothers or sisters. They often get the top jobs, too. They are also responsible people, because they often have to look after their younger brothers or sisters. The downside of this is that sometimes this means that when they're older they worry a lot about things. They can also be quite bossy and even aggressive, especially when they don't get what they want.

(3) The middle children are usually independent and competitive. It's because they have to fight with their brothers and sisters for their parents' attention. And they're usually sociable, they like being with people, probably because they have always had other children to play with. However on the negative side, the middle children are often jealous of their brothers and sisters and they can be moody.

(4) If a child is the youngest in the family, he or she will probably be very charming, affectionate and quite relaxed. On the other hand, the youngest children are often quite lazy. This is because they always have their older brothers and sisters to help them. And they can be quite manipulative — they use their charm to get what they want.

(5) The only children in the family don’t have to share with anyone — so they're often spoilt by their parents and their grandparents. As a result, they can be quite selfish. They think of themselves more than of other people. On the positive side, the only children areusually very organized and responsible, and they can be very imaginative too.

1. Read the article. Which paragraph (1-5) mentions?

a) about the youngest children;

b) about the children who have to look after their younger brothers & sisters.

c) abut Tom Hughes

d) about the only children

e) about the most competitive children

2. Find in the text the following word combinations: вплив родини на особистість; наше положення в родині; отримувати максимальну увагу; бути досить самовпевненими людьми; був першою дитиною в родині; вступати до університету; наглядати за молодшими братами та сестрами; негативна сторона; турбуватись багато; боротися за увагу батьків; бути з людьми; з іншого боку; допомагати молодшим братам та сестрам; використовувати свій шарм; отримувати, що хочуть; ні з ким не ділитися; розпещені своїми батьками; бути досить егоїстичними; думати про себе; більш організовані та відповідальні;

3. Complete the following sentences:

1. Family has… on a …

2. The position in the family is …

3. The oldest children …

4. The oldest children are…

5. The oldest children have to look…

6. Sometimes the oldest children can be quite…

7. The middle children have to … for their…

8. The youngest child is…

9. The only children are often… by…

10. They are … they think…

11. The only children are usually…