Reading

A little family history

Before you start reading, study the following vocabulary:

Adult
Loud
Mess 
Voice 
Successful
 

I have a really big family. It is the biggest one I know of. I have nine siblings – five brothers and four sisters. My mom says she is happier now that we are all adults – when we were all younger, my house was the craziest one in the world – and for sure it was the loudest. Ten kids all trying to talk louder than each other – what a mess! 
When I was a kid, dinner was the worst time of the day. Try to imagine what it was like – ten kids all talking loudly and eating as fast as possible. Anyone who didn't eat fast at our table went to bed as hungry as they were before dinner! If you came later than everyone else, there was hardly any food at all.
I'm 30 years old. I have three older brothers and two older sisters, so of course two of my brothers and two of my sisters are younger than me. The oldest is Tom. He's 42, and he's also the tallest of us. Anna was born only eleven months after me, she is probably the prettiest, but that's not what Jessica and Rachel think at all! Those two are older than me, and they both have lovely singing voices. Mike is the second oldest in the family, and is almost as tall as Tom. He plays the piano very well, but he is the worst singer I have ever heard! Alan is just one year older than me – he is the biggest, strongest, and most athletic one. Then there are Harry and Larry. They are the most interesting – they are twins, and very friendly, and they always dress exactly the same, so it can be hard to tell who you are talking to some times. Last but not least, there is the baby, Katherine. She is the smallest of all, but the best dresser and the most successful.
That's my family – the best one in the world!

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Questions

Choose the best explanations for the following words and phrases from the reading...
  1. "Siblings" means: 
  2. "Imagine" means: 
  3. "The baby" means: 
  4. "Probably the prettiest" means: 
  5. "Hardly any food at all" means: 
Are the following questions about the reading true or false?

1.   The writer's mother liked life better when her children were young.

2.   The children talked quickly and ate loudly when they were young.

3.   The twins are younger than the writer.

4.   The youngest is Anna.

5.   Tom is taller than Mike.