L -1 The Fun They Had

                The Fun They Had

                By - Isaac Asimov

About the Author

Isaac Asimov was born on 2 January 1920 and was died on 6th April 1992. He was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at the Boston University. Asimov was a prolific writer  who wrote or edited more than 500 books and estimated 90,000 letters and postcard. He was a wonderful fiction writer he wrote down many story books and fictions.

Introduction to Lesson

The story is a science fiction that shows  the difference in the education system of the olden days and future education system.The story deals with a boy and a girl, Tommy and Margie, who find out something about school in the past time.

Tommy is about thirteen years old and  Margie is eleven years old girl. On 17th May 2157, Tommy finds a book which was about old schools.They learn how the schools were different in the past from their time and how much fun the children had in those days.

Answers to NCERT Questions

Q - 1 How old are Margie and Tommy ?

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

Q-2 What did  Margie  write in her diary?

Ans - Margie wrote, '' Today Tommy found a real book''.

 Q -3 When did Margie write her diary?

Ans- Margie wrote her diary on 17th May, 2157.

Q-4 Had Margie ever seen a book before?

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

Q-5 What things about the book she find strange?

Ans- She found strange that the pages of the book were yellow and crinkly( full of wrinkles).The words of the book were stationary and the pages could be turned.When it was read second time everything was the same as earlier.

Q-6 What do you think a telebook is?

Ans- A telebook was a virtual kind book that was read on screen. Millions of books can be installed on it.The words on the screen keep moving according to reader's choice.

Q-7 Where was Margie's school ? Did she have any classmate?

Ans- Margie's school was in the room of her house.Actually it was a computer screen, next to her bedroom.

No, She didn't have any classmate.

Q -8 What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?

Ans- Margie and Tommy learnt  History, Geography and Mathematics as their subjects.

Answers in 30-40 words

Q-1 What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?

Ans - Margie and  Tommy had mechanical teacher. They were taught on computers and television screen. All the lessons but flashed on the  screen and they had to answer the questions that were asked to them.

Q -2 Why did Margie's mother send for the county inspector?

And- Margie's mothers  sent for the county inspector as Margie's performance in geography  test was not very good. It had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse.

Q- 3 What did he do?

Ans- He  slowed   down the mechanical teacher's speed upto an average 10 years level. The mechanical teacher's speed was controlled and adjusted according to the IQ level of margie.

Q-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 of the Mechanical teacher.He was very fast in displaying the  questionare.

The County  Inspector adjusted its speed up to an average ten-  year level. He slowed down the level to suit Margie's age and assured her mother that she was progressing satisfactory.

Q -5 What had once happened to Tommy' s teacher?

Ans- Tommy' s teacher was taken away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.

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

Ans- Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school.She had to attend her school at the same time  except on Saturday and Sunday.

Margie's mother said that little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.

Q -7 How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?

Ans- Tommy says that  the old  schools were different to his school.They had special building and all the kids went there to study.They had human teachers to teach them the same thing at the time.

They laughed and shouted in the schoolyard and learned  lessons, according to their respective ages.

Q-8 How  does he describe the old kind of teachers?

Ans- He says that the old teachers did not live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there. They gave Homework to their students. They were not mechanical teachers, but human beings.

Long Questions

Q -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 are the students of future who have mechanical teachers to teach them.The teachers are a computer screen on which lessons are flashed, explained and questions are asked.

Test are given on screen .All work had to be submitted in punch code, which was learn at the age of six. Mechanical teacher is adjusted according to the age level of the child. The mechanical teachers lived in the house of student. Lessons are flashed on  the screen on certain time except on Saturday and Sunday.It assign homework regularly. It is computer screen, so it never fell ill. If any fault is found, the county inspector is called to make it correct.

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

Ans - Margie hated to school. Her school is a computer screen in a room next to her bedroom. There was a mechanical teacher to teach her .She had no classmates. She hated the school but her hate for school was more increased when her performance in the Geography  test was worsening. The geography teacher was giving her test after test in which her performance was not good. She hated the  homework  and the test which she had to complete and submit systematically into the slot.

She thought  that the old kind of school must have been fun. She liked to hear that in old kind of school students learned same things with their classmates. They altogether enjoyed, laughed and shouted in school yard.They Learned the same thing so  they could help one  another in doing homework.  To get education students had to go in separate building and  the physical teacher taught them.