THE FUN THEY HAD......
About the lesson:.....
This lesson is about future school about 30-50 years later than present age. At that time school, books teachers etc will no longer exist . The children will study inside their home in a room or cabin (in a virtual classrom without any classmate). In fact they will learn through computers where Robotic teacher (on screen) will give them command and check their homeworks as well. Their lessons/books will be called E-text which will not be fixed on screen. They would be moving e-text or sentences and could be deleted, copied, pasted or even taken to any other page.Overall, there will neither be any school building nor any human teacher in future schools.
About the author.....
Issac Asimov ( 2 Jan,1920---6 April,1992) was an American author and professor of Biochemestry in Boston University. He was one of the three famous science fiction writers of America.
Textual Question Answer:
I
1. How old are Margie and Tommy ?
Ans:- Margie was eleven and Tommy was thirteen years old.
2. What did Margie write in her diary ?
Ans:- Margie wrote on the page headed 17 May 2157 that "today Tommy found a real book."
3. Had Margie seen a book before ?
Ans:- No, Margie had never seen a book before.
4. What things about the book did she find strange ?
Ans:- The pages of the book were yellow and crinkly and the words stood still. Besides, when they turned back to the page before, it had the same word on it when they read it the first time. These were the things about the book which she found strange.
5. Where was Margie's school? Did she have any classmate ?
Ans:- Margie;s school was right next to her bedroom at her own house.
No, she did not have any classmate.
6. Which subject did Margie and Tommy learn ?
Ans:- Margie learnt geography and Mathematics whereas Tommy learnt Hstory and mathematics.
7. What do you think a telebook is ?
Ans:- A telebook is a book which is displayed on the television or computer screen.
II
1. "I would not throw it away."
1. Who said this ?
Ans:- Tommy said this.
2. What does 'it ' refer to ?
Ns:- It refers to the textbook found by Tommy in the attic.
3. What is it being compared with by the speaker ?
Ans:- The speaker compared it with a teleboook which must have a million book in it.
2. "Sure they had a teacher but it was not regular teacher. It was a man."
1. Who does 'they ' refer to ?
Ans:- They refers to the students of earlier days. It indicates the time when Margie's grandfather was a little boy.
2. What does 'regular' mean here ?
Ans:- Regular means 'normal' or of the usual kind. But here the word 'regular' refers to the mechanical teacher that Tommy and Margie have.
3. What is it contrasted with ?
Ans:- It (mechanical teacher) is contrasted with the human teacher of the earlier times.
III
1. What kind of teacher did Margie and Tommy have ?
Ans:- Margie and Tommy had mechanical teacher. Their teacher was not a human being. He was rather an image that flashed on a television screen. The students were taught by computers and television screens.
2. Why did Margie's mother send for the county Inspector ?
Ans:- Margie's mother sent for the county Inspector becuse the mechanical teacher had been giving Margie test after test in Geography and she had been doing worse and worse. In fact, the the Inspector found that the Geography sector was geared a little too quick.
3. What did he do ?
Ans:- He (county Inspector) had slowed down the speed of the mechanical teacher upto an average ten year level. The speed of the mechanical teacher was controlled and adjusted as per Margie's intelligence.
4. Why was Margie doing badly in Geography ? What did the county Inspector do to help her ?
Ans:- Margie was doing badly in geography because the geography sector was geared a little too quick and the teacher had been giving test after test.
The county Inspector had helped Margie since he adjusted it's speed upto an average ten year level. He further commented that the overall pattern of her (Margie's) progress was quite satisfactory.
5.What had once happened to Tommy's teacher ?
Ans:- Once the history sector of Tommy's teacher had blanked out completely and it was taken away for nearly a month.
6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school ? If so, why ?
Ans:- Yes, Margie has regular days and hours for school because her school was located right next to her bedroom. Her mother said that little girls learn better if they learn at regular hours..
7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school ?
Ans:- Tommy says that old kind of schools were different. The students of the earlier schools had a special building to attend in. All the kids of neighbourhood assembled to study there at fixed time. They came laughing and shouting and sat together in the school room. They learnt the same thing together as guided by men teachers.
8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers ?
Ans:- Tommy says that the old teachers were not mechanical teachers. They were rather human beings. They told things to the boys and girls and gave them homework and asked them questions.
IV.
1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the school rooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story ?
Ans:- Margie and Tommy have mechanical teachers. Their teacher is not a human being. He is an image that flashes on the screen in their study room. The classroom of margie and Tommy is in their home. They donot require printed books as they have many telebooks on the screen.Even their mechanical teacher has been adjusted to fit the minds of each student whom it teaches. Moreover, the mechanical teacher does not have the ability to understand the psychology of a child. In fact, it guides a child according to its adjusted models.
Thus, these are the features of the mechanical teachers and the school rooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story.
2. Why did Margie hate school ? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun ?
Ans:- Margie hated school because she was taught by mechanical teacher in her study room. Her teacher was, however, an image which flashed on a screen in her study room.
The teacher gave her instructions and she had to obey them. She just solved the sums and put her papers in a slot. The teacher checked them in no time. The mechanical teacher gave her home work and test after test in geography and she had been doing worse. So, Margie hated school more than ever.
Margie thought that the old kind of school must have fun, because, all the kids from the neighbourhood came together, laughing and shouting in the school yard to study under single roof.
They even went home together at the end of the day. So, they could help one another with their homewrok.
3. Do you agree with Margie that today's school have more fun than the school in the story. Give reason for your answer.
Ans:- Yes, I agree with Margie that today's school have more fun than the school in the story. There is nothing special except a mechanical teacher in the story. Such a teacher has neither emotios nor sentiments. Such a teacher was placed in one of the rooms of the house. Then students are supposed to sit in that room and the mechanical teacher never understands the psychology of a child. It rather guides a pupil according to its adjusted modals.
On the other hand, in today's schools there are more fun because students sit together in the same classroom. Teachers understand them and guide them personally. Both the teacher and students enjoy laughing and shouting together in the school yard and thus enjoy every single day.
INSIDE/ EXTRA QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
1. Who wrote the 'The Fun They had'?
Ans:- Isaac Asimove
2. What did she write in his diary ?
Ans:- She wrote "Today Tommy found a real book."
3. How old was Margie ?
Ans:- Margie was eleven years old.
4. How old was Tommy ?
Ans:- Tommy was thirteen years old.
5. Why were the pages if the real book turned yellow and crinkly ?
Ans:-The real books were printed on papers. They were very old books. Hence the pages of such real books turned yellow and crinkly.
6. Where did Tommy find the old book ?
Ans:- In the attic of their house..
7. What was the subject matter of the book ?
Ans:- About school.
8.What did Margie hate ?
Ans:- Margie hated school.
9. Who was the county Inspector ?
Ans:- The county Inspector was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires.
10. What was the problem with Margie's mechanical teacher ?
Ans:- The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse.
1. What was the name of Marge's mother ?
Ans:- Mrs. Jones.
MCQ ....