The Fun They Had - Class 9 English

Activity

Calculate how many years and months ahead from now Margie’s diary entry is.

Ans: Margie’s diary entry is dated 17 May 2157.
From now, it is about 131 years and several months ahead.

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

1. How old are Margie and Tommy?

Ans: Margie is eleven years old and Tommy is thirteen years old.

2. What did Margie write in her diary?

Ans: Margie wrote in her diary that Tommy had found a real book.

3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?

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

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

Ans: She found it strange that the words did not move, and that the book had to be read again from the beginning once finished.

5. What do you think a telebook is?

Ans: A telebook is an electronic book that is read on a digital screen.

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

Ans: Margie’s school was in her house, next to her bedroom.
She did not have any classmates.

7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?

Ans: Margie learnt Geography, and Arithmetic and Tommy learnt History.

II. Answer the following with reference to the story.

1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”

(i) Who says these words?

Ans: Tommy says these words.

(ii) What does ‘it’ refer to?

Ans: ‘It’ refers to the television screen.

(iii) What is it being compared with by the speaker?

Ans: Television screens is being compared with printed book by the speaker.

2. “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”

(i) Who does ‘they’ refer to?

Ans: ‘They’ refers to children from the old schools.

(ii) What does ‘regular’ mean here?

Ans: ‘Regular’ means not mechanical.

(iii) What is it contrasted with?

Ans: It is contrasted with a mechanical teacher.

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

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

Ans: Tommy and Margie were taught by mechanical teachers. They were robots that taught lessons on a screen, gave homework and calculated marks. They are taught at fixed hours and given a fixed time slot to submit their homeworks, test papers.

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

Ans: Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector because Margie was doing badly in geography, and her marks were continuously getting worse despite regular study.

3. What did he do?

Ans: The county inspector examined the mechanical teacher. After proper testing, he learned that the Geography sector was geared to be a bit faster, which sometimes happens. So, he slowed it down to an average ten-year-old kid level so it could match Margie’s understanding.

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

Ans: Margie was doing badly because the geography lessons were too fast for her. The County Inspector reset the mechanical teacher to suit her age level.

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

Ans: Once, Tommy’s teacher had a history section blanked out completely. It had to be taken away for nearly a month to be repaired.

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

Ans: Yes, Margie had regular school hours because her mother believed that fixed timings helped children learn better and kept them disciplined and mentally fresh.

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

Ans: Regarding the old kind of school, Tommy explained that the old schools were buildings where children of the same age went to these schools, where they studied together and played, shouted, etc. together. After all the classes were over, the children returned to their homes.

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

Ans: Tommy says that, old kind of teachers were not a regular i.e. a mechanical teacher, they were human, who taught lessons to children of a class in a classroom and gave homeworks.

IV. Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100–150 words).

1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?

Ans: Margie and Tommy have machine teachers; they are machines shaped as robots and inserted into houses. The machine teachers teach on a display screen, ask queries, train students on homework, and conduct tests on students. The machine teachers have been adjusted according to the learning capacity of the students and are serviced by inspectors if they fault.

The classrooms for these children consist of small rooms within their homes, close to where they sleep. Each one learns alone, never with other children or with any human instructor. They can access lessons at any set time of the day, according to an extremely clever timetable.

Overall, a future with mechanical teachers and schoolrooms depicts a scene filled with efficiency but devoid of warmth, friendship, and fun.

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

Ans: Margie did not like school since she had a mechanical teacher who provided her with regular tests and homework. She did her work alone in a small room adjacent to her bedroom, in the absence of classmates and a human teacher. She particularly did not like geography the lessons were too fast and she continued to score poor marks. The school routine was strict and boring, which made learning unpleasant for her.

Margie believed that the old type of school must have been entertaining as children were learning in one school building. They were able to converse, play and assist each other during learning. Lessons were friendlier and interesting due to the presence of human teachers. She would envision kids laughing and having fun in school and this made her believe that the old schools were more joyful and fun than hers.

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

Ans: Yes, I agree with Margie that schools today are more enjoyable than the one described in the story. Schools today allow all students to learn together in classrooms, making learning interactive and fun. Students can discuss the lessons, ask questions freely, and help each other, which enhances understanding. Activities such as playing games, group work, sports, and cultural programs make school life vibrant and interesting.

Teachers today are human, so they understand students’ feelings and difficulties in learning. They can explain lessons in different ways and motivate them with encouragement. In contrast, Margie’s school is lonely and mechanical, without friends or human interaction. Studying alone with a machine makes learning boring and stressful. Therefore, schools today are not only places of learning but also of friendship, enjoyment, and overall development.

Thinking about Language

I. Adverbs

Read this sentence taken from the story:

They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.

The word complete is an adjective. When you add -ly to it, it becomes an adverb.

1. Find the sentences in the lesson which have the adverbs given in the box below.

2. Now use these adverbs to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.

(i) The report must be read so that performance can be improved.

Ans: The report must be read carefully so that performance can be improved.

(ii) At the interview, Sameer answered our questions , shrugging his shoulders.

Ans: At the interview, Sameer answered our questions nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

(iii) We all behave when we are tired or hungry.

Ans: We all behave awfully when we are tired or hungry.

(iv) The teacher shook her head when Ravi lied to her.

Ans: The teacher shook her head sorrowfully when Ravi lied to her.

(v) I forgot about it.
Ans: I quickly forgot about it.

(vi) When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled and turned away.

Ans: When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled loftily and turned away.

(vii) The President of the Company is busy and will not be able to meet you.

Ans: The President of the Company is completely busy and will not be able to meet you.

(viii) I finished my work so that I could go out to play.

Ans: I finished my work quickly so that I could go out to play.

Remember:
An adverb describes action. You can form adverbs by adding -ly to adjectives.
Spelling Notes: When an adjective ends in -y, the y changes to i when you add -ly to form an adverb.
For example: angr-y –> angr-i-ly

3. Make adverbs from these adjectives.

Ans:

II. If not and Unless

Complete the following conditional sentences. Use the correct form of the verb.

1. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, .

2. If you don’t telephone the hotel to order food, .

3. Unless you promise to write back, .

4. If she doesn’t play any games, .

5. Unless that little bird flies away quickly, .

Ans:

1. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, she will feel upset.

2. If you don’t telephone the hotel to order food, you will remain hungry.

3. Unless you promise to write back, I won’t write to you again.

4. If she doesn’t play any games, she will become weak.

5. Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat will catch it.