مکالمه ی فعالانه قسمت ب

Active Speaking - Part B

Something incredible happened when he got out of the hospital.

Did something incredible happen? Yes, something incredible happened. When did something incredible happen? Something incredible happened when he got out of the hospital.

Derek suddenly began playing the piano with professional skill and artistic creativity.

Who suddenly began to play the piano? Derek suddenly began to play the piano. Did he play well? Yes, he played with professional skill.

He just spontaneously started hearing music and seeing black and white squares appearing in his head.

What did Derek see in his head? Derek saw black and white squares in his head.

These squares represented melodies, and compelled his fingers to move along the piano.

What did these squares represent? These squares represented melodies. Did they compel his fingers to move? Yes, they compelled his fingers to move.

Yet Derek had never played the piano before. He didn’t even know how to read music. He had some experience with drums and guitar, but admits he was pretty lousy at both before the accident.

Had Derek played the piano before? No, Derek had never played the piano before. Had he played the drums and guitar before? Yes, he had some experience with drums and guitar.

Was he good at playing the drums and guitar? No, he was pretty lousy at both of them.

Doctors diagnosed Derek with Acquired Savant Syndrome.

Who diagnosed Derek? Doctors diagnosed Derek. Did they diagnose him with Acquired Savant Syndrome? Yes, they diagnosed Derek with Acquired Savant Syndrome.

This is a condition where mental impairment results in extraordinary skills. You might already be familiar with the term ‘savant’. It was made famous by Dustin Hoffman’s character, Raymond, in the movie Rain Man.

Have you seen the movie Rain Man?

Raymond was based on a real person, named Kim Peek. Unlike Derek, Kim was an Autistic Savant.

An autistic Savant is someone who suffers from autism, while possessing an extraordinary skill.

Was Kim Peek a real person? Yes, Kim Peek was a real person. Was he an Autistic Savant?

Yes, he was an Autistic Savant.

In Kim’s case, he didn’t seem very bright, and had a terrible time relating to other people emotionally and socially.

What did Kim have a terrible time with? Kim had a terrible time relating to other people emotionally and socially.

He couldn’t operate a light switch or even button his shirt.

What couldn’t he do? He couldn’t operate a light switch or even button his shirt.

However, he possessed an extraordinary ability to count things, make calculations, and remember details.

Did he have an extraordinary ability to count things? Yes, he had an extraordinary ability to count things. Did he have an extraordinary ability to make calculations? Yes, he had an extraordinary ability to make calculations. Did he have an extraordinary ability to remember details? Yes, he had an extraordinary ability to remember details.

Kim’s nickname was ‘Kim-puter’ because his ability to remember things was like a computer.

What was Kim’s nickname? Kim’s nickname was ‘Kim-puter’. Why was he called Kim-puter?

He was called Kim-puter because his ability to remember things was like a computer.

Kim was a voracious reader, finishing most books in one hour.

How long would it take Kim to read a book? Kim would read most books in one hour. Was he a voracious reader? Yes, he was a voracious reader.

He had the unusual habit of reading the left page with his left eye and the right page with his right eye.

How did he read books? He read the left page with his left eye and the right page with his right eye.

Over the course of his life he read over 12,000 books and could recall them all in detail.

How many books did he read? He read 12,000 books. How many could he remember in detail? He could remember all of them in detail.

Unlike Kim, Derek Amato didn’t have such a huge cost to pay for his savant-like talents.

Who paid a higher cost for his ability Kim or Derek? Derek paid a higher cost for his ability.

Luckily, he hasn’t suffered any loss of social skills from his head injury.

Has Derek suffered any loss of social skills? No, he hasn’t suffered any loss of social skills.

While his memory and hearing were somewhat affected, he has still been able to lead a fairly normal life. In fact, some may say his sudden new talent has increased his quality of life.

Has Derek’s new ability increased or decreased the quality of his life? Derek’s new ability has increased the quality of his life.