Audio scripts 1.11
Announcer: It’s eight o’clock and time for Breakfast time.
Presenter: Good morning, everyone. Our guest this morning is the writer Norah Levy. Norah’s here this week promoting her new book We are family, which is all about how our position in family affects our personality. Welcome, Norah.
Norah: Thank you.
Presenter: Now is this really true, Norah? That our position in the family affects our personality?
Norah: Sure, Ok. Other factors can influence your personality, too, but your position in the family is definitely one of the strongest.
Presenter: So tell us a little about the oldest child in the family- the firstborn.
Norah: Well, the oldest children get maximum attention from their parents and the result is that they’re usually pretty self-confident people. They make good leaders. Did you know that fifty-two percent of the US presidents were firstborn children? Firstborn children are often ambitious and they’re more likely to go to college than their brothers or sisters. They often get the top jobs, too. Oldest children are often responsible people because they often have to take care of 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 a little bossy, or even aggressive, especially when they don’t get what they want.
Presenter: well, what about the middle child?
Norah: Well, middle children are usually independent and competitive.
Presenter: Competitive?
Norah: Yes, 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’ve always had other children to play with. However, on the negative side, middle children are often jealous of their brothers and sisters, and they can be moody.
Presenter: And the youngest children?
Norah: If you’re the youngest in a family, you’ll probably be very charming, very affectionate, and a pretty relaxed person. This is because parents are usually more relaxed when they have their last child. On the other hand, youngest children are often a little lazy. This is because they always have their older brothers and sisters to help them. And they can be pretty manipulative. They use their charm to get what they want.
Presenter: OK, that’s all very interesting. Now, I’m an only child. People often have the idea that only children like me are spoiled. Is that true?
Norah: well, it’s true in many cases! Only children are the only ones. They don’t have to share with anyone, so they’re often spoiled by their parents and their grandparents. As a result, they can be somewhat selfish. They think of themselves more than of other people.
Presenter: OK. Well, that sounds like a good description of me! Is there any good news?
Norah: Yes, there is. On the positive side, only children are usually very organized and responsible, and they can be very imaginative, too.
Presenter: Well, thank you, Norah, and good luck with the book. And now it’s time for the news headlines…
