The Savant

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Muere Kim Peek, el verdadero 'Rain Man' | Obituarios | elmundo.es Detrás de las Cámaras: Curiosidades del rodaje de Rain Man

Starting Point. Discuss the questions below.

Kim Peek The Real Rain Man - Savant Syndrome - Human Facts

What is the connection between the two pictures above?

Who is a savant?

Laurence Kim Peek (November 11, 1951 – December 19, 2009) was an American savant.
Known as a “megasavant”, he had an exceptional memory, but he also experienced social difficulties, possibly resulting from a developmental disability related to brain abnormalities.
He was the inspiration for the character of Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rain Man.

Focus on Listening. Watch the video.

Focus on Comprehension. Answer the questions below about the video.

1. List 2 things different people compare Kim Peek to:
a)
b)
2. What was Kim’s early diagnosis?
3. How has Rain man influenced Kim’s life?
4. What did the neurologist tell Kim’s parents when the boy was 9 months old?
5. How long was Kim supposed to live?
6. What did Kim’s dad promise to Dustin Hoffman?
7. How do people want to test Kim’s genius?
8. What’s the price of Kim’s gift?
9. Why is this year important for the Peeks? What’s their mission?

Focus on Speaking.

Use these expressions to show your opinion:

Opinions, Preferences:

I think…, In my opinion…, I’d like to…, I’d rather…, I’d prefer…, The way I see it…, As far as I’m concerned…, If it were up to me…, I suppose…, I suspect that…, I’m pretty sure that…, It is fairly certain that…, I’m convinced that…, I honestly feel that, I strongly believe that…, Without a doubt,…,

Disagreeing:

I don’t think that…, Don’t you think it would be better…, I don’t agree, I’d prefer…, Shouldn’t we consider…, But what about…, I’m afraid I don’t agree…, Frankly, I doubt if…, Let’s face it, The truth of the matter is…, The problem with your point of view is that…

Giving Reasons and offering explanations:

To start with, The reason why…, That’s why…, For this reason…, That’s the reason why…, Many people think…., Considering…, Allowing for the fact that…, When you consider that…

Although this is just the first part of a longer program, it raises a bunch of interesting questions:

a) What is the true meaning of genius?

b) How important was “sharing Kim with the world”?

c) How are intelligence and social skills linked, if at all?

d) Is there a question you would ask Kim Peek if you could?

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