Q.1. How old are Margie and Tommy?
Answer : Margie is eleven and Tommy is thirteen years old.
Q.2. What did Margie write in her diary?
Answer : In the chapter ‘The Fun They Had’ Margie wrote in her diary “Today Tommy found a real book”.
Q.3. Has Margie ever seen a book before?
Answer : No, Margie had never seen a book before.
Q.4. What things about the book did she find strange?
Answer : Margie found the old book strange because its pages were yellow, words were still, and it didn’t display moving text like a screen.
Q.5. What do you think a telebook is? or What is a telebook?
Answer : A telebook is a book which appears on the screen of a television or computer.
Q.6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Answer : Margie’s school had a computer in her house. No, she did n’t have any classmates.
Q.7. What subject did Margie and Tommy learn?
Answer : In the chapter ‘The Fun They Had’ Margie learnt Geography and Arithmetic and Tommy learnt History.
Q.1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”
(i) Who says these words?
Answer : Tommy said these words.
(ii) What does ‘it’ refer to?
Answer : The Television is refers here as a ‘it’.
(iii) What is it being compared with by the speaker?
Answer : Television screen is being compared with the book by the speake.
Q.2. Sure they had a teacher, but it was not a regular teacher. It was a man.
(i) Who does ‘they’ refer to?
Answer : Here ‘They’ refers to the boys and girls.
(ii) What does ‘regular’ mean here?
Answer : ‘Regular’ here means normal of the usual kind.
(iii) What is it contrasted with?
Answer : ‘It’ is contrasted with the mechanical teacher.
(III) Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph. (about 30 words)
Q.1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Answer : Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers; a large, screen-based computers that taught them individually at home. These robotic teachers adjusted lessons to each student’s level, assigned tests, and displayed lessons on a screen, lacking human interaction or personal engagement.
Q.2. Why did Margie’s mother send it to the County Inspector?
Answer : Margie’s mother sent the mechanical teacher to the County Inspector because it was malfunctioning. It had been giving Margie tests in geography that were too difficult, leading to poor performance. The Inspector adjusted it to Margie’s level.
Q.3. What did he do?
Answer : The country Inspector was called to test Margie’s progress in geography. After careful examination he said that Margie was quite all right. It was not her fault. The geography sector was a little too quick.
Q.4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the county Inspector do to help her?
Answer : In the chapter ‘The Fun They Had’ Margie was doing badly at geography. It was not her fault. It was because the geography sector was a little too quick. He slowed it to an average ten years level.
5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Answer : Once Tommy’s teacher was away for about one month. There was a History sector in the computer. By chance it had blanked out completely. So, Tommy did n’t do his work in history.
Q.6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Answer : Margie had regular days and hours for school. The time was quite fixed except for Saturday and sunday. It was because Mrs. Jones had a whim that the little girl learned betler than they learned at regular hours
Q.7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Answer : Tommy described old schools as buildings where all kids studied together, laughing at the idea. He found it strange that teachers were real humans who taught students in person, unlike their mechanical teachers who taught them individually at home.
Q.8. How does Tommy describe the old kind of teachers?
Answer : Tommy described old teachers as real, living humans who taught in a special building called a school. He found it funny that they taught students in person and gave them homework, thinking mechanical teachers were more advanced.
V. Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs: (100-150 words)
Q.1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?
Answer : Margie and Tommy’s schoolrooms were in their own homes, where they studied individually. Their mechanical teachers were large, computer-like machines with screens that displayed lessons and asked questions. These robotic teachers adjusted their teaching levels according to each student’s performance. They also assigned tests and recorded results instantly. Unlike traditional schools, there were no human teachers or classmates, making learning a solitary experience. The mechanical teachers followed a strict schedule, and lessons were programmed in subjects like geography, history, and arithmetic. There were no fun activities, discussions, or social interactions, making Margie feel that old schools were more enjoyable.
Q.2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?
Answer : Margie hated school because her mechanical teacher was strict and assigned a lot of homework. She struggled with geography lessons that were too difficult, making learning frustrating. The lack of human interaction and the monotony of studying alone made her feel isolated. She thought the old kind of school must have been fun because children studied together, played, and interacted with friends. Learning from a real human teacher seemed more enjoyable than a lifeless machine. The idea of going to school, making friends, and sharing experiences excited her, as it was very different from her lonely, robotic education system.
Q.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 school in the story. In traditional schools, children study together, interact with friends, and participate in various activities, making learning enjoyable. Unlike Margie’s mechanical teacher, human teachers understand emotions, provide personal guidance, and make lessons engaging. Group learning helps students develop social skills, teamwork, and confidence, which is missing in Margie’s isolated learning system. Schools also offer extracurricular activities like sports, music, and art, making education more holistic. Learning only from a machine at home would be dull and lonely, lacking the joy of shared experiences.
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