The Fun They Had
SUMMARY
Vocabulary
The story is a work of fiction that is set in the future. Written by the famous fiction maestro Isaac Asimov the story dates ahead to the year 2157. It deals with Tommy, a thirteen-year- old boy and Margie, an eleven-year-old-girl who find out about schools in the past time.
In the year 2157 every child has his own machine. Teacher and schools like today do not exist anymore. They only read stories on the computer screen.
Tommy found a very old book. The book was about school centuries ago. Margie is very surprised that in the past pupils had a person as a teacher and that all children of the same age learnt the same thing and went to a school with other children. At first, Margie didn’t understand how a person could be a teacher and how the students were taught the same thing because her mother said that education must fit each child's mind, but nevertheless, in her opinion, those schools were funny and she wanted to read more about it. She hated her own school. She thought school in those days was much better than today. She was thinking about the old school system and how much fun the children must have, learning and spending time together while her mechanical teacher was teaching her. Margie wanted to read more of the book.
Vocabulary
Word Meaning:
1. crinkly - having a lot of thin folds or lines
2. attic - a room or space just below the roof of a house, often used for
storing things
3. scornful - a strong feeling that somebody/something is stupid or not good
enough, usually shown by the way you speak
4. slot - a long narrow opening, into which you put or fit something
5. geared - designed or organized to achieve a particular purpose, or to be
suitable for a particular group of people
6. loftily - in a way that shows a belief that you are worth more than other
people
7. dispute - an argument or a disagreement between two people
8. nonchalantly - in a calm and relaxed way; showing no sign of anxiety
9. tucked - fold or turn the ends or edges of clothes, paper, etc. so that they
are held in place or look neat
10. sigh - to take and then let out a long deep breath that can be heard
Comprehension Questions
1. Name the children in the story?
Tommy and Margie are the children in the story.
2. Where did Tommy find his grandfather’s book?
Tommy found his grandfather’s book in the attic.
3. What did Margie write in her diary?
Margie wrote in her dairy how Tommy found a real book belonging to his grandfather on 17th May 2157.
4. Tommy considered printed books as real waste. Why?
According to Tommy the capacity of a computer is much more than a mere book. After reading a book it is discarded whereas in a computer many books can be stored and retrieved at the mere click of a button.
5. Why did the children find the book awfully funny?
They found the book awfully funny because the words stood still instead of moving the way they did on a computer screen.
6. Why did Margie hate school?
Margie hated school because she was given test after test by the mechanical teacher.
7. What did the County Inspector tell Margie’s mother?
The County Inspector told Mrs. Jones that Margie was not to be blamed for the poor performance in her tests, as it was because the Geography section was geared a little quick.
8. Describe the physical appearance of the County Inspector.
The County Inspector was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires.
9. Which part of the session did Margie hate the most?
The part Margie hated the most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers.
10.What did the County Inspector do with the mechanical teacher?
The County Inspector took the teacher apart. He then put everything together in an hour or so and the teacher was mended.
11.Why was Margie disappointed?
Margie was disappointed because she had hoped that the county inspector would take the teacher away altogether but he didn’t.
12.How did Tom treat Margie?
Tom treated Margie as if she was stupid and behaved as if he was superior to her.
13.What was the book about?
The book was about an old kind of school where a regular man was a teacher.
14.Where did all the kids go for education?
All the kids went to a special building called ‘school’.
15.Why did Tommy scream with laughter?
Tommy screamed with laughter because Margie thought that in the past the teacher went to the house of each student to teach.
16.What was the mother’s opinion about a teacher?
Mrs. Jones said that a teacher had to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid had to be taught differently.
17.What according to Tommy was the difference between his school and the school
described in the old book?
According to Tommy, in the past the school was a building where all kids went to study and they had a man as a teacher. All the kids of the same age learned the same thing. Whereas Margie, Tommy and other children of that age did not go to school and they had a mechanical teacher in a school room at home.
18.Where was Margie’s school?
Margie’s school was right next to her bedroom.
19.What did the mechanical teacher teach her that day?
That day the mechanical teacher taught her arithmetic and addition of proper fractions.
20.What was Margie thinking about while in her school room?
She was thinking about the old schools and how the kids enjoyed in the past.
21.How did the mechanical teacher teach arithmetic to Margie?
The mechanical teacher was on time and as she entered the screen lit up and it said that it would teach arithmetic that day and also addition of proper fractions. It also asked her to insert the previous day’s homework in the proper slot.
22.What did Margie think about the old schools attended by her grandfather’s
grandfather?
Margie thought that in the past, studying together must have been fun and since all of them learned the same things, they could help each other on the homework, laugh and shout in the school yard, sit together in the school room and go home together at the end of the day.
Answers to Textual Questions
I Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
1. How old are Margie and Tommy?
Margie is eleven years old and Tommy is thirteen years old.
2. What did Margie write in her diary?
Margie wrote in her diary, “Today Tommy found a real book!”
3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?
No, Margie had never seen a book before but heard from her grandfather that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper.
4. What things about the book did she find strange?
She found many strange things about the book. One of the strange things was that after reading, the book became useless. The text written on it did not move the way it happened on their computer screen. Moreover, one page had limited number of words, unlike computers where a page can display unlimited number of words. Besides the idea that someone would write a book about school itself was strange for her.
5. What do you think a telebook is?
A telebook is an online book which can be browsed using internet or it can be displayed through TV signals on TV screen.
6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Margie’s school was a virtual school in her house itself. She didn’t have classmates the way children had in the past. Children in the past went to physical schools where they interacted with real teachers and real classmates.
7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
Margie and Tommy learned subjects like Geography, Math and History. But assuming a computer can be programmed to teach any subject they must be taught all relevant subjects.
Answer the following with reference to the story
1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”
(i) Who says these words?
(ii) What does ‘it’ refer to?
(iii) What is it being compared with by the speaker?
i. Tommy said these words
ii. 'It' refers to the television screen, on which you could read over a million books
iii. Tommy is comparing the television screen to the real books in earlier times in
which words were printed on paper. He thought that after reading such books, one would have to throw them away. However, he would never throw away his telebooks.
2. “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”
(i) Who does ‘they’ refer to?
(ii) What does ‘regular’ mean here?
(iii) What is it contrasted with?
i. They refer to the students who studied in the old kind of schools centuries before the time the story is set in.
ii. Here, 'regular' refers to the mechanical teachers that Tommy and Margie had.
iii. The mechanical teacher is contrasted with the teacher of the earlier times, who was a human being.
Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph
1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Margie and Tommy had a virtual teacher. They were computer fitted with latest gizmos. The computer was programmed to give lessons depending on a child’s age group and previous learning history. The child had to submit test papers regularly in a slot of the computer. They had to write answers using punch code and they got instant results of the test.
2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?
Margie had been given many tests in geography by the mechanical teacher, but there was no improvement in her performance. It only kept getting worse. So her mother was worried. She wanted the County Inspector to check if there was some problem with the child or with the virtual teacher.
3. What did the County Inspector do?
The County Inspector gave Margie an apple and started working on the mechanical teacher. He took it apart and then checked it. Margie had hoped that the Inspector wouldn’t know howto put the mechanical teacher back again but he managed to reassemble it within an hour or so. He slowed down the geography sector of the teacher because it was geared a little too quickly for
her age.
4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the county inspector do to help
her?
The County Inspector found that the computer’s programme was not working properly and was giving lessons, which was of higher level than what Margie’s age required, so she was doing badly in geography. He rectified the problem and it started giving lessons suitable for Margie’s age group.
5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Once Tommy’s teacher developed some problem and its History section blanked out completely. So it was taken away for a month for repairs.
6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Margie did not have regular days and hours unlike conventional schools. However her mother believed that learning at regular hours helped little girls learn better. The benefit of virtual classroom is it can be accessed as per your convenience. No more early morning rush for school. You can sleep as late as you wish and can compensate for your study during day time as per your convenience.
7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Tommy described the old kind of school as a special building where all kids studied together. There were hundreds of students studying or playing together in an open yard.
8. How does he describe the old kind of teacher?
Old kind of teacher was a human being, who taught children in a special building. He taught the children in groups and gave them homework and asked them questions. It was surprising for Tommy to know how a human being can be smart enough to teach a particular topic.
Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs
1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that
Margie and Tommy have in the story?
The mechanical teacher was a computer screen with good audio-video system. It taught students in mechanical voice and tone. It could store reams of information. Unlike a page in the real books, the mechanical teacher’s page is its screen. The screen could display unlimited number of words. The teacher was always present in their house and they could study as per their convenience. A fault in its programming could lead to inaccessibility of certain subjects. The teacher was programmed to suit each individual student’s learning needs and capability.
2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have
been fun?
Margie hated school because it was not fun. Her school was always open, seven days in a week. Margie’s teacher was always on at the same time except weekends, because her mother believed that regular study hours result in better learning. She had no classmates to interact and play with. She thought that old school must have been fun, because, you got the opportunity to play and have fun, with your classmates. She imagined all the kids from the entire neighbourhood coming together, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard. sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of day. They learned the same things so they could help one another with the homework and talk about it.
3. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the
story? Give reasons for your answer.
Yes, I agree schools today are more fun than the school in the story. In the story, there is no interaction between Margie and Tommy with any other student regarding studies. Studying alone in a room surrounded by gadgets must be boring and no fun. Doing homework without anybody's help and writing them in a punch code would also be dull exercise. Studying in the present school system,children get a better understanding about each other and of their surroundings when they go to a school and interact with each other. It is a healthier way of learning. Listening to teachers
explaining lessons is always more interesting than reading the entire lesson on a mechanical computer. Also, if any student faces any problem with the subject or in homework, he can discuss it with the teacher and other kids. It is impossible to discuss problems and situations with a mechanical teacher that is only programmed to teach in a particular manner. The excitement of waiting to know the marks scored in exams is greater when one is sitting in a classroom with other students. It does not have the same effect when the marks are calculated immediately after a test has been taken. Finally, the friends that you make at school are most probably the best friends that you will ever make in your entire life. The various qualities that you learn in school like obedience, respect, kindness for others, sharing, taking part in school games, sports, and other activities are all a part of school education today. Therefore, schools today are more fun than the school in the story as they are more interactive. They promote a healthy environment for the students to study and
learn.
WORKSHEET
Q1. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
i. Who found the real book?
Tommy found the real book.
ii. Where did Tommy find the book?
Tommy found the book in the attic of his house.
iii. Why was Margie surprised?
Margie was surprised to see the book because all the stories were printed on paper.
iv. Give the synonym of the word ‘old’.
Ans: ancient
(b) They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read
words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to-on a screen.
i. Why were the pages of the book yellow?
The pages of the book were yellow because the book was very old.
ii. Did Margie see the book for the first time?
Yes, Margie saw the book for the first time.
iii. What did she find strange about the book?
Margie found it strange that the words written in the book stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to – like on a screen.
iv. Find the synonym of the word ‘wrinkled’.
Ans: crinkly.
(c) Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right next to her bedroom and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned
at regular hours.
i. Where was Margie’s schoolroom?
Margie’s school room was next to her bedroom.
ii. Why was the mechanical teacher on at the same time everyday?
The mechanical teacher was on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday because Maggie’s mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.
iii. What was that day’s lesson? What did the mechanical teacher ask Maggie to do?
That day lesson was an arithmetic lesson on addition of proper fractions. It asked Maggie to insert the previous day’s homework in the proper slot.
iv. Write the antonym of ‘regular’.
Ans: irregular
(d) “Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid. This is the old kind of school that they had
hundreds and hundreds of years ago.” He added loftily.
i. Who does ‘he’ in the above lines refer to?
‘He’ in the above lines refers to Tommy.
ii. What kind of school do they have?
They had individual classrooms with a mechanical teacher where the teacher was adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches because each child had to be taught differently.
iii. Who does ‘they’ refer to?
They refers to the students who studied in the old kind of schools centuries before the time the story is set in.
iv. Find the antonym of the word ‘humbly’.
Ans: loftily
(e) Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighbourhoods came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom going come together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so that they could help one another with the home work and talk about it.
i. Which school is Margie thinking about in the above lines?
Margie is thinking about the school of her grandfather’s grandfather when he was a little boy.
ii. What is the advantage of those old schools?
The advantage of the old school was that everyone used to learn the same thing and could help each other in the homework. The children could go and come together also.
iii. What kind of school did Margie and other children go to?
Margie, Tommy and other children of that age did not go to any special school. They had a mechanical teacher in a school room at home and studied alone.
iv. Which word in the passage means “breathing out deeply”?
Ans: sigh
Q2. Answer the following in 30 - 40 words.
The book that Tommy found was an old, real book. It had crinkly, yellow pages where all the stories were printed on paper and the words stood still. Unlike a page in the real books, the telebook’s page is its screen. The screen could display unlimited number of words. It could store large number of books.
(b) Tommy thought the old books were funny and a big waste. Why?
Tommy thought that the old books were a waste because the words stood still and did not move. They could not be reused and had to be thrown away after reading. The computer screen has a million books on it.
(c) Why did Margie hope that the County Inspector would take away her mechanical
teacher?
Margie hoped that the County Inspector would take away her mechanical teacher because she had performed poorly in all the geography tests and had developed a strong dislike for the school subject.
(d) What did County Inspector do to improve Margie’s performance?
The County Inspector found that the geography sector had been geared too quickly. He slowed it up to an average 10-years level and found the overall pattern of Margie as quite satisfactory.
(e) What gives you an idea that Margie was not happy with the mechanical teacher?
Margie was not happy with the mechanical teacher and this is evident from the fact that when the County Inspector came she hoped that he wouldn’t know how to put it together and that he would take the teacher away altogether.
(f) What thoughts might have crossed Margie’s mind when she came to learn about the
past?
Margie was confused as Tommy told her that in the past there were real teachers and separate buildings called ‘schools’. Teachers taught a group of children whereas her mother told her that a teacher was supposed to adjust to fit the mind of each boy and girl. Margie wondered how all this happened in the past.
Q3. Answer the following in 100 - 120 words.
Margie and Tommy have in the story?
The mechanical teacher was a computer screen with good audio-video system. It taught students in mechanical voice and tone. It could store reams of information. Unlike a page in the real books, the mechanical teacher’s page is its screen. The screen could display unlimited number of words. The teacher was always present in their house and they could study as per their convenience. The teacher was programmed to suit each individual student’s learning needs and capability.
(b) Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been
fun?
Margie hated school because it was not fun. Margie’s teacher was always on at the same time except weekends, because her mother believed that regular study hours result in better learning. She had no classmates to interact and play with. She thought that old school must have been fun, because, you got the opportunity to play and make fun, with your classmates. She imagined all the kids from the entire neighbourhood coming together, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard. They learned the same things so they could help one another with the homework and talk about it.
(c) How was Margie’s school different from the schools that existed hundreds of years
ago?
Margie’s school was at home. Margie’s school had a room installed with a computer from which she used to learn the lessons. She had a mechanical teacher and telebooks. No other students were there in the class and the work was fed in, by the student using punch codes. Whereas, the old schools had proper buildings, many students, human teachers who gave homework and asked questions. Everyone learned the same things and books were of paper. So, it is clearly visible that Margie’s school was totally different from the schools that existed hundreds of years ago.
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