Cloze Test: Birth Order

BIRTH ORDER

A number of famous Americans seem to confirm the view that the first-born in a family achieves the (1) ________________ success in life. Forty-third US President George W. Bush, for example, is the eldest of five surviving siblings. His predecessor, Bill Clinton, has a younger half-brother, Roger, who spent time in jail in the 1980s. And 39th President Jimmy Carter’s younger brother, Billy, is perhaps best remembered (2) __________ drinking beer and endorsing the failed brand “Billy Beer”.

Many American astronauts are also first-borns, (3) __________ the first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong, (4) __________ younger brother and sister led (5) __________ more “down-to-earth” lives.

However, there are many (6) __________ famous American siblings who have achieved success (7) __________ more or less equal degree. These include tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, actors Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty and singers Michael and Janet Jackson, (8) ___________ come from a large family of singers and musicians.