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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What skill did Professor Ramachandran first ask Daniel to demonstrate for him and his team?

2. Where does the name "pi" come from?

3. What does Kim Peek's father, Fran, tell Daniel to say to Kim upon meeting him?

4. What is the last challenge the documentary makers have for Daniel?

5. How did Neil help Daniel memorize the pi digits?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did the scientists in California ask if Daniel could visit with them longer?

2. Why did Daniel end up walking up the steep hill of Volunteer Ave. on his commute to the Volunteer Center?

3. How is Daniel's partner, Neil, similar to Daniel?

4. Why did Daniel think about creating his own private language when he was young?

5. Why did Daniel spend his first weekend in Kaunas inside his new apartment?

6. What aspects of language does Daniel find more difficult than others to understand?

7. Why do you think the woman who interviewed Daniel at the Volunteer Services Overseas office might have thought he was a perfect candidate to teach English overseas?

8. Why is Icelandic considered to be such a difficult language to learn?

9. Scientists are beginning to question whether Daniel's ability with language extends to other forms of language, such as sign language. What happens when he is tested for this?

10. During his training for Volunteer Services, what were the main learning goals for Daniel and the class?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Daniel is drawn to learn more about the language of Esperanto. He also develops his own language and calls it Manti. Why do you think he makes up his own language? Will he be able to speak it with anyone else? Why has his development of Manti attracted the attention of language researchers?

Essay Topic 2

Daniel's parents enroll him in nursery school where he keeps to himself and is fascinated with textures and watching the floor as he walks. Current knowledge about autism and Asperger's syndrome recommends that those children be around others for social stimulation as much as possible. Do you think going to nursery school was the best thing for Daniel? Did it help him in any way? Did it do any damage? Did anything change for him at home as a result?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Daniel's many obsessions. Are these obsessions the results of Asperger's or being a savant? What made others so exasperated with him? How did his parents treat these obsessions? Were they correct to do so?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 953 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample