雅思阅读真题（Part 3）
兄弟姐妹如何影响我们的一生
本篇也叫：兄弟姐妹影响、兄弟姊妹、手足关系、同胞竞争、出生顺序、老大老二老三
Part 3 · 考频：中频 · 最近考试：2025.7.8山东财经大学
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 3）《All in the family》，共 14 题，2025.7.8山东财经大学雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
文章探讨兄弟姐妹（siblings）对成年行为的深远影响：从基因与早期榜样，到出生顺序塑造的领导者、调解者、叛逆者角色；引用Dr Gene Brody关于兄姐学业表现影响父母教养的研究，以及橄榄球明星Piri Weepu被哥哥从小锻炼的故事，说明手足关系是最持久的人际纽带。
A person's brothers and sisters can have a powerful effect on their adult behaviour
A
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, precisely only because they started when we were so young.
B
Surprising new research by Dr Gene Brody found that having older children who do well in school and are well liked by other children leads to parental 'basking' – increasing mothers' self-esteem. It is clear that in turn this is associated with more positive parenting of younger children, who display fewer behavioural problems as a result. Conversely, parents who get a difficult first child may in turn experience a negative spiral of household tension.
C
International sports star Piri Weepu is a rugby hard man, but at least some of his tough temperament was forged long ago in the family home. His older brother Billy started rugby-tackling little Piri when he was just four – to 'harden him up'. It seemed to work: Piri followed his brother in playing for the under-sevens league before he even started school. There are as many such stories as there are families. In the formative hothouse of the family, siblings interact in complex ways with the powerful forcefields of parents, genetics and personality already at work. It starts with birth order, which determines play roles the firstborn leader, the middle-child mediator and the rebellious youngest. These are roles that can stick for life
D
Clinical psychologist Claire Cartwright says she has clients who believe, and it might not have been true, that they were treated differently from their siblings, that one child in the family was preferred over others. They are quite convinced that the parental judgements on them all those years ago were harsher, and that they were the ones who always got into trouble. Later, in the workplace, such a person might be particularly defensive, and so behave in a way more prone to attracting harsh judgements.
E
However, the research shows that being Mummy or Daddy's favourite has its own traps. If you were the easy-going, co-operative child at home, you probably excelled at pleasing parents and, later, bosses. But you might, as an adult, find it hard to be assertive with authority figures and lack direction. On the other hand, the sibling who is disruptive and annoying as a child may be able to reinterpret that role later, turning those attention-seeking characteristics into strengths like determination and leadership.
F
How is it that full siblings, despite sharing DNA, can turn out so differently? One answer is that, in fact, each sibling grows up in a different family, a unique micro-culture. For example, the firstborn is, for a while, an only child, and therefore has a completely different experience of the parents than those born later. The parents themselves are growing up too, weathering hardship or good fortune, so one sibling might experience stability and closeness while another might be raised in the midst of crisis.
G
Of course, there are many positive aspects of sibling relationships. Anne Dunworth, a lecturer in psychology, says firstborn children learn vocabulary more quickly than their siblings because they are not competing to spend one-on-one time with parents. But younger children in turn benefit from unintentional instruction from their bigger brothers and sisters, acquiring entire phrases and an understanding of social concepts such as politeness. Similarly, a Cambridge University study of 140 children found that even when there is a great deal of conflict, siblings will still create a rich world of play and make-believe that extends them developmentally. Love-hate relationships were common among these children, but even those who fought the most had as many positive interactions as the other siblings. It is also true that children compete for parental attention by making themselves different from their brothers and sisters, particularly if they are close in age. A 2003 research paper studied adolescents from 185 families over two years, finding that those who changed, to differentiate themselves from their siblings, increased the amount of warmth they gained from parents, and also developed stronger personalities and a better sense of their own identity.
H
Another consideration is that many families today are smaller and more intimate than their historical counterparts. This may be advantageous because siblings tend to know each other better and remain lifelong friends compared to children from bigger or more widely spaced families, who perhaps lose touch with one another after leaving home. Then there was a 2010 American study which 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. 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.
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答案：NO
原文定位：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
同义替换：「siblings」↔「siblings」，「shaping people`s adult personalities」↔「determining what kind of adult we will become」，「play equal roles」↔「but even more influential」
答案：YES
原文定位：By turns enraging and lovable;familiar and mysterious;our brothers and sisters are the human beings who people our first social relationships
同义替换：「first social relationships」↔「first social relationships」，「siblings」↔「our brothers and sisters」
答案：NOT GIVEN
原文定位：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
同义替换：「relationships with their siblings」↔「sibling relationship」，「when they marry」↔「spouses」，「tend to receive less attention」↔「」
答案：YES
原文定位：parental 'basking';is associated with more positive parenting of younger children, who display fewer behavioural problems as a result
同义替换：「basking」↔「basking」，「later siblings」↔「younger children」，「advantageous for」↔「more positive」
答案：It may shape the characteristics of adults.
原文定位：It starts with birth order, which determines play roles: the firstborn leader, the middle;child mediator and the rebellious youngest. These are roles that can stick for life
同义替换：「birth order」↔「birth order」，「may shape the characteristics of adults」↔「roles that can stick for life」
答案：Their perceptions of childhood may be inaccurate.
原文定位：Clinical psychologist Claire Cartwright says she has clients who believe, and it might not have been true, that they were treated differently from their siblings, that one child in the family was preferred over others
同义替换：「clients」↔「clients」，「perceptions of childhood may be inaccurate」↔「who believe, and it might not have been true」
答案：Negative characteristics in children can become positive in adults.
原文定位：the sibling who is disruptive and annoying as a child may be able to reinterpret that role later, turning those attention;seeking characteristics into strengths like determination and leadership
同义替换：「Negative characteristics in children」↔「disruptive and annoying」
答案：The family environment may charge over time.
原文定位：The parents themselves are growing up too, weathering hardship or good fortune, so one sibling might experience stability and closeness while another might be raised in the midst of crisis
同义替换：「The family environment may change over time」↔「The parents themselves are growing up too, weathering hardship or good fortune」
答案：healthy competition
原文定位：The more you know about the origins of your sibling relationship;the greater your ability to reframe its lessons and let go of outdated roles
答案：imaginative games
原文定位：Similarly, a Cambridge University study of 140 children found that even when there is a great deal of conflict, siblings will still create a rich world of play and make‑believe that extends them developmentally
同义替换：「Cambridge study」↔「Cambridge University study」，「fight」↔「conflict」，「engage in」↔「create a rich world of」
答案：greater individuality
原文定位：A 2003 research paper studied adolescents from 185 families over two years, finding that those who changed, to differentiate themselves from their siblings, increased the amount of warmth they gained from parents, and also developed stronger personalities and a better sense of their own identity
同义替换：「Research conducted in 2003」↔「A 2003 research paper」，「develop」↔「developd」
答案：closer relationships
原文定位：Another consideration is that many families today are smaller and more intimate than their historical counterparts. This may be advantageous because siblings tend to know each other better and remain lifelong friends compared to children from bigger or more widely spaced families, who perhaps lose touch with one another after leaving home
同义替换：「smaller families」↔「families today are smaller」，「as adults」↔「remain lifelong friends」，「enjoy」↔「tend to know each other better」
答案：mental well-being
原文定位：Then there was a 2010 American study which 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
同义替换：「2010 American study」↔「a 2010 American study」，「having a sister」↔「having a sister」，「children aged 10‑14」↔「10‑ to 14‑year‑olds」，「mental well‑being」↔「less likely to feel lonely, unloved, self‑conscious or fearful」
答案：generous behaviour
原文定位：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
同义替换：「the same study」↔「The same study」，「having a sibling」↔「having a loving sibling of either gender」，「promote」↔「promoted」