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I find it remarkable that I’m able to handle normal spoken speed in Dutch, Japanese, German, Spanish—and even—I took a quick preview—in French—which I haven’t heard, read or studied in any shape or form for over 45 years—even when the audiobook speeds up during moments of excitement.

That’s surely a good sign. It bodes well.

I’ve learned to grab what I can get, and to ignore what I can’t. It’s as if I’ve been let loose in a department store for a 10-minute haul-what-you-can. And of course at speed you cover a lot of territory.