(Students may take idea from these notes. “Thinking about the Language” is to be done in the Book only.)
About the Author –
Isaac Asimov is the author of the story "The Fun They Had". Asimov was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He is known for his science fiction works. "The Fun They Had" was first published in a children's newspaper in 1951, and has been reprinted in other works including The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Word Meanings –
Headed = Titled, labeled
Yellow and crinkly = Aged and wrinkled, old and withered Telebooks = Electronic books, Attic = Loft, space under the roof Scornful = Disdainful, mocking Dials and wires = Gauges and cables, indicators and connectors Slot = Opening, cavity Punch code = Encoding system, symbolic input Geared = Adjusted, arranged Blanked out = Malfunctioned, ceased to function Loftily = Arrogantly, haughtily Regular = Normal, usual Dispute = Argue, contest Strange = Unfamiliar, unusual Screamed = Yelled, shouted Nonchalantly = Casually, indifferently Tucked = Inserted, placed securely Arithmetic = Math, calculation Sigh = Exhale in emotion, long breath Flashing = Blinking, shimmering
Theme of the chapter -
The amazing chapter “The Fun They Had” takes us fast-forward to the year 2157! It is a world where computers are playing a major role. It introduces us to a world where humans are taught by robots, the education system is entirely digitized and there are no school buildings. The children of the year 2157 are surprised to know that teachers, books and schools were so different centuries ago. Summary –
The story begins with two children named, Margie and Tommy. It takes place in the world of the future where computers dominate everything. Moreover, it also shows how the concept of schools and classrooms has transformed completely.
It’s the year 2157, and Margie is writing in her diary about how Tommy found a book. This book was of Tommy’s grandfather when he was a little kid. Margie learns about how they use to print all the stories on paper back then. Further, they read the book themselves and find the feeling of turning pages over rather funny. It was funny because they were not in the habit of reading still words, only ones in motion that too on a screen. We learn that in the future, there are no books, only tele-books. They store them in TV sets and computers.
After that, it takes an interesting turn when they discuss school. Margie learns that schools were very different back then. They had actual persons who were teachers. It is surprising because she has only robots which teach her. Moreover, she does not like school because of a lot of reasons. The school she studies does not have any classmates. In fact, it doesn’t even have recess or playground.
Margie and Tommy study in a virtual classroom. They have robots as teachers. Most importantly, her ‘school’ is next to her bedroom only. It is a room full of electronics, robots, and gadgets. The computer software teaches her everything. When Margie attends her school after learning about the earlier ones, she starts wondering. When she starts studying, she cannot help but think about the earlier days. Margie wonders about the fun her grandparents would indulge in. She imagined kids from different neighbourhood coming together merrily to attend school.
Moreover, the fact that they were taught the same thing amused her. It was because everyone would help each other out with the homework. Thus, in the end, she is left wondering about the fun they had.
Thinking about the Text -
I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
Question 1. How old are Margie and Tommy?
Answer: Margie is eleven and Tommy is thirteen years old.
Question 2. What did Margie write in her diary?
Answer: Margie wrote in her diary “Today Tommy found a real book!”
Question 3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?
Answer: No, Margie had never seen a book before.
Question 4. What things about the book did she find strange?
Answer: The things about the book that she found strange were the following:
i) The pages of the book were yellow and crinkly.
ii) The words stood still instead of moving.
iii) When they turned back to the previous page, it still had the same words on it that it had when they first read it.
Question 5. What do you think a telebook is?
Answer: I think the telebook must be a book that gets displayed on the screen of the television or it is an E- book.
Question 6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Answer: Margie’s school was next to her bedroom. No, she did not have any classmates. Question 7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
Answer: Margie and Tommy learnt Geography, History and Arithmetic.
II. Answer the following with reference to the story.
Question 1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”
(i) Who says these words?
(ii) What does ‘it’ refer to?
(iii) What is it being compared with by the speaker?
Answer: (i) Tommy says these words.
(ii) “It” refers to the books.
(iii) The paperback book is being compared with the telebooks by the speaker.
Question 2. “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”
(i) Who does ‘they’ refer to?
(ii) What does ‘regular’ mean here?
(iii) What is it contrasted with?
Answer: (i) “They” refers to the students centuries ago.
(ii) “Regular” means the usual for the people in 2157. Here, regular teacher means the mechanical teacher.
(iii) The mechanical teacher is contrasted with humans as teachers of earlier times.
III. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
Question 1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Answer: Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers. The mechanical teachers had big screens on which all the lessons were shown and questions were asked. The children were taught through computer and television screens. They did not have humans as teachers.
Question 2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?
Answer: Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector because the mechanical teacher of Margie was not functioning properly. It kept giving Margie Geography tests and Margie was performing worse every time. Margie’s mother was concerned and thus sent for the County Inspector.
Question 3. What did he do?
Answer: The County Inspector smiled at Margie and gave her an apple. He took the mechanical teacher away from her. Then he fixed the mechanical teacher. He told Margie’s mother that the geography sector of the mechanical teacher was geared a little too quick and that he had slowed it up to an average ten-year level.
Question 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 the questions that were displayed on the screen of the mechanical teacher were too quick for her age.
The County Inspector slowed its speed to an average ten-year level so that Margie would be able to perform satisfactorily.
Question 5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Answer: Tommy’s teacher had to be taken away altogether for a month as the history sector had blanked out completely.
Question 6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Answer: Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school because Margie’s mother believed that little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.
Question 7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Answer: Tommy says that the old kind of school had special buildings. All the kids went to that building for studying. Kids of the same age studied the same thing. They were taught by a human teacher.
Question 8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?
Answer: He tells Margie that the old kind of teachers were humans instead of machines. The human teacher would educate the boys and girls and give them homework and ask questions.
IV. Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100 –150 words).
Question 1: What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?
Answer: The main features of the mechanical teachers that Margie and Tommy have are as follows:
The mechanical teachers have big black screens on which lessons are displayed and questions are asked. The students need to put their homework and test papers in a slot that is present in the mechanical teacher. The students write answers in punch code and the mechanical teacher calculates the results right away.
The main features of the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have are given below:
In the story, the schools are there in the homes. For instance, Margie’s school was right next to her bedroom. The students do not have classmates. They study subjects like arithmetic, history, geography, etc. The mechanical teacher would turn on at the same time every day except on the weekends.
Question 2: Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?
Answer: Margie hated school because she felt it boring. The mechanical teacher started the class at the same time regularly. Margie’s mechanical teacher was giving her test after test on Geography and she was performing badly. Margie also did not like inserting homework and test papers in the slot on the mechanical teacher.
She thought that the old kind of school must have been fun because it would have had kids from various places of the neighbourhood. It would have been so interesting to sit together in the classroom and leave the school together at the end of the day. All the kids learned the same things so they could help each other in studies and homework. Question 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 the story, the schools are in the students’ homes. This gives no space for interaction between students. Studying from screen and taking up tests sounds boring. Inserting homework and test papers in a slot on a mechanical teacher every day is monotonous. Writing answers in punch codes is even more boring.
Learning together in a class gives students a wider view of the people. Students also get familiar with others and learn how to interact and socialize. Getting taught by human teachers is way more dynamic than being taught by a machine. If there is any issue with any lesson or concept, the student can ask the human teacher then and there. But, mechanical teachers are programmed with a certain lesson and concept for a particular day. When the student solves homework, he/she can get help from classmates. That’s how the schools today are more fun than the school in the story.
Thinking about Language –
(To be done in the Book)
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.
Question 1. Find the sentences in the lesson which have the adverbs given in the box below.
They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to — on a screen, you know.
Sorrowfully:
The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County Inspector.
Completely:
They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.
Loftily:
He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago”.
Carefully: He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago”.
Differently:
“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.”
Quickly:
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly. She wanted to read about those funny schools.
Nonchalantly:
“Maybe,” he said nonchalantly.
Question 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.
(ii) At the interview, Sameer answered our questions _________, shrugging his shoulders.
(iii) We all behave _________ when we are tired or hungry.
(iv) The teacher shook her head ________ when Ravi lied to her.
(v) I ________ forgot about it.
(vi) When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled ________ and turned away.
(vii) The President of the Company is ________ busy and will not be able to meet you.
(viii) I finished my work ________ so that I could go out to play.
Answer:
(i) The report must be read carefully so that performance can be improved.
(ii) At the interview, Sameer answered our questions loftily, shrugging his shoulders.
(iii) We all behave differently when we are tired or hungry.
(iv) The teacher shook her head sorrowfully when Ravi lied to her.
(v) I completely forgot about it.
(vi) When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled nonchalantly and turned away.
(vii) The President of the Company is awfully busy and will not be able to meet you.
(viii) I finished my work quickly so that I could go out to play.
Question 3. Make adverbs from these adjectives.
(i) angry (ii) happy
(iii) merry (iv) sleepy
(v) easy (vi) noisy
(vii) tidy (viii) gloomy
Answer:
(i) angry – angrily (ii) happy – happily
(iii) merry – merrily (iv) sleepy – sleepily
(v) easy – easily (vi) noisy – noisily
(vii) tidy – tidily (viii) gloomy – gloomily
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, I __________.
4. If she doesn’t play any games, ___________.
5. Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat _________.
Answer:
1. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, she will get irritated.
2. If you don’t telephone the hotel to order food, you will miss your meal.
3. Unless you promise to write back, I will not write you another letter.
4. If she doesn’t play any games, she will become lazy.
5. Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat will pounce on it and kill it.
Writing –
Question: A new revised volume of Issac Asimov’s short stories has just been released.
Order one set. Write a letter to the publisher, Mindfame Private Limited, 1632 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi, requesting that a set be sent to you by Value Payable Post (VPP), and giving your address. Your letter will have the following parts.
• Addresses of the sender and receiver
• The salutation
• The body of the letter
• The closing phrases and signature
Answer:
House No. – (Name of the Colony) (Name of Village) Dist. – Raigarh (CG) 16 April 2024
To Mindfame Private Limited, 1632 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi
Subject: Requesting for a set of the Revised volume of Issac Asimov’s short stories via VPP.
Dear Sir/Madam I am writing to express my keen interest in the recently released revised volume of Isaac Asimov's short stories, which I understand your esteemed publishing house has brought to the market.
As a devoted reader and science fiction enthusiast, I'm eager to acquire a set through Value Payable Post (VPP) and explore Asimov's captivating narratives. Kindly dispatch the set to my address provided above, ensuring secure packaging. I'm willing to cover the VPP charges and would appreciate confirmation of the total cost, including shipping.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. I look forward to receiving the revised volume of Isaac Asimov's short stories and immersing myself in its captivating tales.
