THE FUN THEY HAD

Isaac Asimov

Q         WRITE A PARAGRAPH BY DEVELOPING THE FOLLOWING HINTS:

Margie wrote – diary – Tommy – found real book – remembered – grandfather – told -stories – on paper – pages yellow, crinkly-  funny – words -stood still-Tommy seen – telebooks -read –school, Margie – hated school – mechanical teacher – test- doing worse – mother – county inspector-reset -screen –Margie hated – slot –  inspector informed Mrs. Jones – quite satisfactory.

Margie asked Tommy – school hundreds of years ago. She read -human teacher. Tommy – teachers -special building – Margie’s mother reminded – time for school- went – school room – little girls -regular hours- inserted – Margie think- old schools- kids laughing, shouting – schoolyard, sitting – school room, going home together learn the same things- help one another – homework – mechanical teacher flashed -addition fractions -Margie – think- fun they had.

Ans. THE FUN THEY HAD

Margie wrote in her diary that Tommy had found a real book. It was very old. She remembered her grandfather had told that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper. The pages were yellow and crinkly. It was funny to read words that stood still instead of moving. Tommy had seen more telebooks than Margie. He was reading about school and Margie said that she hated school because the mechanical teacher was giving her test. She was doing worse so Mrs. Jones, her mother sent for the county inspector.

The county inspector reset the screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked. The part Margie hated was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. The inspector informed Mrs. Jones that Margie’s over all progress was quite satisfactory. Margie hoped that the inspector would take away the teacher altogether.

Margie asked Tommy why anyone would write about school. He then told her that it was the old kind of school hundreds of years ago. She read the book and found that they had a human teacher. Tommy told her that teachers lived in a special building and the kids went there. They weren’t half finished when Margie’s mother reminded them that it was time for school.

Margie went into the school room. Her mother said that little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours. She inserted her homework in the proper slot. Margie was thinking about the old schools. All the kids laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the school room and going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the homework and talked about it. Her mechanical teacher flashed on the screen with addition fractions. Margie was thinking about the fun they had.

A. Identify the character or speaker of the following lines.

1. She was given test after test in geography. – Margie

2. He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires. – county inspector

3. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether. – Margie

4. They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the home work and talk about it.-students of the old school.

5. They had a special building and all the kids went there.-old school teachers

B. Fill in the blanks with the clues given below to complete the paragraph.

(millions of books, yellow and crinkly, learning and spending, geography, test papers, attic, school time,

real book, same thing, person, schools, words, house.)

Tommy and Margie found something about the (i) schools of the past. Tommy found a (ii) real book which has been printed on paper. The book was old and the pages were (iii) yellow and crinkly At present, the (iv) words were moving on a television screen. The television had over (v) millions of books. He had found the old book in the (vi) attic of his house. While reading Tommy found that it was about the old schools. Margie hated school because she was having problems with learning (vii) geography. The mechanical teacher was black and large with a screen. Margie hated the slot where she had to insert her homework or (viii) test papers. Margie did not understand how a (ix) person could be a teacher and how the students were taught the (x) same thing.Then it was (xi) school time for Margie and Tommy. Margie went to the schoolroom in her (xii) house, where the mechanical teacher stood. She was thinking about the old school and how much fun the children had, (xiii) learning and spending time together.

C. Bring out the difference between your school and Margie’s school in the given tabular column. An example is done for you.

Margie’s school	Your school
Teacher is a machine.	Teacher is a human being.
Books are on the screen	Books are in printed form.
School is at home.	School is at a special building.
There is no playground.	There is a big playground.

D. Complete the following statements based on your reading.

1. The old book was found by Tommy.

2. Margie was surprised to see the old book because the words stood on paper.

3. The mechanical teacher was giving Margie test after test in geography.

4. Margie had to study always at the same time every day, because her mother said little girls learn better if they learned at regular intervals.

5. The geography sector in mechanical teacher was geared a little too quickly.