THE FUN THEY HAD

I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each:

1. How old are Margie and Tommy?

Answer: Margie is eleven years old, and Tommy is thirteen years old.

2. What did Margie write in her diary?

Answer: Margie wrote in her diary: "Today Tommy found a real book!"

3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?

Answer: No, Margie had never seen a real book before.

4. What things about the book did she find strange?

Answer: Margie found it strange that the book’s words were fixed on the pages and didn’t move like the text on a telebook screen.

5. What do you think a telebook is?

Answer: A telebook is a virtual book that can be read on a screen. One doesn’t have to turn pages because the words themselves move across the screen.

6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?

Answer: Margie’s school was in her own house, right next to her bedroom. She had no classmates as she studied alone with her mechanical teacher.

7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?

Answer: Margie learnt geography and arithmetic, and Tommy learnt history and arithmetic.

II. Answer the following with reference to the story:

1. "I wouldn't throw it away."
(i) Who says these words?

Answer: These words are said by Tommy.
(ii) What does 'it' refer to?

Answer: ‘It’ refers to the real book that Tommy found in the attic.
(iii) What is it being compared with by the speaker?

Answer: Tommy is comparing the real book to his television screen, which can store millions of books and still have space for more, making it reusable. He believes the television screen is better because, unlike the printed book, it doesn’t need to be thrown away after reading.

2. "Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn't a regular teacher. It was a man."
(i) Who does 'they' refer to?

Answer: ‘They’ refers to the students who studied in the old kind of school many years ago.

(ii) What does 'regular' mean here?

Answer: ‘Regular’ here refers to the mechanical teacher that Margie and Tommy had in their time.

(iii) What is it contrasted with?

Answer: It is contrasted with a human teacher, who taught students in the old days instead of a machine.

III. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words):

1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?

Answer: Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers instead of human ones. These were large, black, and ugly machines that displayed lessons on a screen. They had a slot where students had to insert their homework and test papers. The mechanical teacher also calculated their marks instantly.

2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?

Answer: Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector because Margie was performing poorly in geography. Her mechanical teacher had been giving her difficult tests, and Margie’s scores kept getting worse. Believing there was something wrong with the teacher, her mother decided to call the County Inspector to check the problem.

3. What did he do?

Answer: The County Inspector was a round little man with a red face who arrived with a box of tools. He examined Margie’s mechanical teacher, discovered that its geography sector was set too fast, and adjusted it to a slower pace to match Margie’s learning ability. He assured Margie’s mother that her progress was satisfactory.

4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her?

Answer: Margie was doing badly in geography because her mechanical teacher’s geography sector was set too fast, making the lessons and tests too difficult for her.

The County Inspector adjusted the settings to a slower pace, suitable for a ten-year-old child, allowing Margie to understand her lessons better.

5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?

Answer: Tommy’s mechanical teacher once had a problem when its history sector stopped working completely. Because of this issue, the teacher had to be taken away for nearly a month while it was being repaired. Tommy seemed to enjoy the break, which made Margie hope her teacher would also be taken away.

6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?

Answer: Yes, Margie had regular school hours every day, except on Saturdays and Sundays. Her mother believed that children should follow a fixed schedule to develop good study habits. The mechanical teacher was always on at the same time each day to ensure Margie followed this routine.

7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?

Answer: Tommy described the old kind of school as a special building where children from the neighbourhood gathered to study. They would learn the same things, which helped them discuss their lessons and help each other with homework. Tommy explained that this type of school seemed more fun and social.

8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?

Answer: Tommy says that the old kind of teachers were men. They were not regular teachers like machines. Instead of being mechanical, they were real people who taught students in a classroom, gave them homework, asked questions, and didn’t live in the student’s house.

IV. 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? (Difference between a mechanical teacher and a schoolroom teacher?)

Answer: In the story, Margie and Tommy study with mechanical teachers at home. These teachers are machines with screens that give lessons, ask questions, and check homework instantly. Each student learns alone in their own room, and the teaching is adjusted to their level.

In contrast, old schools had human teachers in classrooms where many children studied together, helped one another, and had fun. The mechanical teacher is strict and boring, while the schoolroom teacher was more friendly and social.

2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?

Answer: Margie hated her school because it was boring and lonely. Her mechanical teacher gave her lots of tests, especially in geography, and she was doing worse every day. She had to study alone in her room, and the machine checked her work through a slot.

She thought the old kind of school must have been more fun because children went to a real school building, sat in classrooms, learned the same things together, and had human teachers who talked, helped, and made learning more enjoyable.

3. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer: Yes, I agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the one in the story. In the story, children study alone with a mechanical teacher, which is boring and gives lots of tests. There are no friends, no classroom, and no real teacher. But in today’s schools, we study together, play during breaks, ask doubts, and get help from human teachers. We enjoy group activities, make friends, and learn better in a happy and social environment, which makes learning more enjoyable.

V. Use these adverbs to fill in the blanks:

(Awfully, sorrowfully, completely, loftily, carefully, differently, quickly, nonchalantly)

(i) The report must be read __________so that performance can be improved. (Carefully)
(ii) At the interview, Sameer answered our questions __________, shrugging his shoulders. (Nonchalantly)
(iii) We all behave __________ when we are tired or hungry. (Differently)
(iv) The teacher shook her head __________ when Ravi lied to her. (Sorrowfully)
(v) I __________ forgot about it. (Completely)
(vi) When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled __________ and turned away. (loftily)
(vii) The President of the Company is __________ busy and will not be able to meet you. (Awfully)
(viii) I finished my work __________ so that I could go out to play. (Quickly)

Nonchalantly: Nonchalantly means to act in a calm, casual, or carefree manner.

Loftily: Loftily means to act in a proud, arrogant, or superior manner as if you feel you are better than others.

Awfully: Awfully means very, extremely, or badly.

Sorrowfully: Sorrowfully means in a sad, unhappy, or regretful manner

VI. Make adverbs from the given words: (An adverb describes the action. You can form adverbs by adding -ly to adjectives.)

1. Angry → Angrily.

2. Merry → Merrily.

3. Easy → Easily.

4. Tidy → Tidily.

5. Happy →Happily.

6. Sleepy → Sleepily.

7. Noisy → Noisily.

8. Gloomy → Gloomily.