All in the family
Read All in the family and check the IELTS Reading answers. We can choose our friends, the saying goes, but we cannot choose our family of origin. Our parents provide the genetic material and make powerful early role models, but even more influential in determining what kind of adult we will become…
Passage preview
We can choose our friends, the saying goes, but we cannot choose our family of origin. Our parents provide the genetic material and make powerful early role models, but even more influential in determining what kind of adult we will become are our brothers and sisters — our siblings. They occupy a position of unique intimacy in our lives and cast a longer shadow than many recognise or are prepared to acknowledge. By turns, enraging and lovable, familiar and mysterious, our brothers and sisters are the human beings who people our first social relationships. And a sibling relationship is the most enduring relationship many of us will ever have — no less emotionally intense than the bonds we form with our spouses and our own children — if only because they started when we were so young.
Vocabulary from this passage
12 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- assertive adjective
Confident and direct in expressing opinions or needs without being aggressive towards other people
Training helped the shy graduate become more assertive when presenting ideas to senior managers.
- birth order noun
A person's position among siblings by age, often claimed to influence personality and behaviour
Psychologists remain divided over whether birth order has any measurable effect on adult personality.
- conversely adverb
Used to introduce a statement that is the opposite or reverse of one just made
Urban growth strains housing supply; conversely, rural areas face population decline and school closures.
- differentiate verb
To make oneself or something distinct from others by developing different qualities or characteristics
Companies work hard to differentiate their brands from those of competitors offering similar goods.
- enduring adjective
Lasting for a long time, continuing to exist or remain important despite changes over the years
Shakespeare's enduring appeal lies in his insight into universal human emotions and conflicts.
- forge verb
To create or shape something, such as a character trait, through sustained pressure or difficult experience
Years of hardship forged a resilience that served the young entrepreneur well later.
- formative adjective
Having a strong, lasting influence on a person's development, especially during childhood and adolescence
Her formative years abroad shaped both her worldview and her approach to teaching.
- intimacy noun
Close familiarity and emotional closeness between people, built through shared experience and personal disclosure
Long shared journeys often foster an intimacy that casual acquaintances rarely achieve.
- negative spiral noun
A worsening cycle in which each bad development makes the next one more likely
Missed deadlines triggered a negative spiral of stress, absenteeism and further delays.
- prone adjective
Likely to suffer from or behave in a particular, usually undesirable, way
Teenagers deprived of sleep are more prone to errors of judgement and mood swings.
- temperament noun
A person's natural disposition, shaping how they typically react emotionally and behave from an early age
A calm temperament helped her remain composed during the most stressful stages of the negotiations.
- weather verb
To come safely through a difficult period or hardship without being seriously damaged by it
Small businesses that weathered the recession emerged with stronger finances and loyal customers.
Answers with explanations
- 27. NO
The statement proposes that parents and siblings play **equal roles** in shaping adult personality. The first paragraph contradicts this: parents provide genes and early role models, but **even more influential** in determining what kind of adult we become are our **brothers and sisters**. Siblings are ranked above parents, so the roles are not equal. This is a direct contradiction, so the answer is NO rather than NOT GIVEN. Answer: NO.
- 28. NOT GIVEN
The passage confirms that siblings are the human beings who people our **first social relationships**, so the first part of the statement is supported. However, it never says whether those relationships tend to be with siblings of **their own gender**. Siblings are described only as brothers and sisters, with no pattern linked to gender. Because this detail is missing rather than contradicted, the answer is NOT GIVEN. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 29. NOT GIVEN
The statement says sibling relationships receive **less attention** once people **marry**. The first paragraph says a sibling bond is the most enduring relationship and is **no less emotionally intense** than the bonds with spouses and children. That compares emotional strength, not the **attention** given to siblings after marriage. The writer never says whether people neglect their siblings when they marry, so the writer's view is not given and the answer is NOT GIVEN. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 30. YES
The statement asserts that parental 'basking' is **advantageous for later siblings**. The second paragraph says that basking increases mothers' self-esteem and is **associated with more positive parenting of younger children**, who **display fewer behavioural problems** as a result. Younger children clearly benefit, so the writer's claim agrees with the statement and the answer is YES. Answer: YES.
- 31. B
The third paragraph states that **birth order determines play roles**: the firstborn leader, the middle-child mediator and the rebellious youngest. It adds that these are roles that **can stick for life**, so a person's birth order may shape the characteristics of the adult. Parents underestimating its role is never stated, the roles stick for life rather than fading as children grow up, and the text does not compare birth order with genetics. Answer: B.
- 32. C
The text says Cartwright's clients **believe**, **and it might not have been true**, that they were **treated differently** from their siblings. The writer therefore doubts the accuracy of their memories, so the idea that their perceptions of childhood may be inaccurate fits. Their parents treating them fairly is not stated, since the clients feel the opposite; any harshness is blamed on parental judgements rather than siblings; and closer adult relationships are not mentioned. Answer: C.
- 33. C
The fifth paragraph says the sibling who is **disruptive and annoying** as a child may later turn those **attention-seeking characteristics into strengths** like determination and leadership. So traits that look negative in children can become positive in adults. The idea that favoured children make good leaders is wrong because the paragraph says favourites may lack direction; parents repeating mistakes is not mentioned; and attention-seeking children are not described as unlikely to please bosses. Answer: C.
- 34. D
The sixth paragraph explains why full siblings turn out differently: each grows up in a **different family**. The **parents themselves are growing up too**, **weathering hardship or good fortune**, so one child may enjoy stability while another meets crisis. The family environment therefore changes over time. Having a favourite parent and parenting skills improving with later children are not argued, and the paragraph explains differences by environment, not by siblings being born with different personalities. Answer: D.
- 35. G
The passage says younger children benefit from **unintentional instruction** from their bigger brothers and sisters, **acquiring entire phrases and an understanding of social concepts** such as politeness. Picking up language and social ideas from older siblings is a form of **learning**, so it matches the option about learning experiences. The option about physical development is a trap: the passage mentions that play 'extends them developmentally', but that belongs to a different study. Answer: G.
- 36. B
The summary says siblings still enjoy the blank **even when they have a tendency to fight**. The Cambridge study found that **even when there is a great deal of conflict**, siblings will still create a **rich world of play and make-believe**. Play and make-believe is paraphrased by imaginative games. The option about healthy competition is a distractor: the passage mentions fighting and competing for attention, but not as something siblings enjoy. Answer: B.
- 37. F
The summary says children develop ___ as a result of **seeking attention**. The 2003 research paper found that adolescents who **differentiated themselves** from their siblings, which children do to compete for **parental attention**, developed **stronger personalities** and a better **sense of their own identity**. These findings paraphrase the option about greater individuality. Parental love is not the outcome, since warmth is a separate result, and competition is the cause, not the result. Answer: F.
- 38. I
The summary says smaller families may mean today's siblings enjoy ___ as adults. The paragraph on family size says smaller, more **intimate** families are advantageous because siblings **know each other better** and **remain lifelong friends**, unlike children from bigger families who **lose touch** after leaving home. This matches the option about closer relationships. Strong marriages and career success are never linked to family size. Answer: I.
- 39. K
The 2010 American study found that having a sister, whether younger or older, meant that **10- to 14-year-olds** were **less likely to feel lonely, unloved, self-conscious or fearful**. Feeling less lonely and fearful describes better emotional health, which the option about **mental well-being** paraphrases. The option about parental love matches only the word unloved, and career success is never mentioned. Answer: K.
- 40. D
The last sentence of the passage says the same study found that having a **loving sibling** of either gender **promoted good deeds**, such as **helping a neighbour** around the house or helping other children at school. Good deeds and helping others are examples of generous behaviour, which is the option that fits the gap after 'promote'. The option about parental love is a distractor, because the loving relationship in the study is with a sibling. Answer: D.