The Fun They Had (Supplementary)

The Fun They Had

Isaac Asimov

Warm Up

Here is an imaginary high-school class depicted in a French postcard (1901-1910).

• After looking at the postcard, what do you think have come true in the present century?
• Now, share your views about the changes that you and your classmates expect in your school and classroom in about 20–50 years.

Read the story to find out how a student like Margie studies in the year 2157.

The Story

Margie even wrote about it that night in her diary. On the page headed 17 May 2157, she wrote:

“Today Tommy found a real book!”

It was a very old book. Margie’s grandfather once said that when he was a little boy his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper.

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. And then, when they turned back to the page before, it had the same words on it that it had when they read it the first time.

“Gee!” said Tommy, “What a waste. When you’re through with the book, you just throw it away, I guess. Our television screen must have had a million books on it and it’s good for plenty more. I wouldn’t throw it away.”

“Same with mine,” said Margie. She was eleven and hadn’t seen as many telebooks as Tommy had. He was thirteen.

“Where did you find it?”

“In my house.” He pointed without looking, because he was busy reading. “In the attic.”

“What’s it about?”

“School.”

Margie was scornful. “School? What’s there to write about school? I hate school.”

Margie always hated school, but now she hated it more than ever. 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.

He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires. He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart. Margie had hoped he wouldn’t know how to put it together again, but he knew how all right, and, after an hour or so, there it was again—large and black and ugly, with a big screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked. That wasn’t so bad. The part Margie hated most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. She always had to write them out in a punch code they made her learn when she was six years old, and the mechanical teacher calculated the marks in no time.

“Why would anyone write about school?”

Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes. “Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid. This is the old kind of school that they had hundreds and hundreds of years ago.” He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago.”

Margie was hurt. “Well, I don’t know what kind of school they had all that time ago.” She read the book over his shoulder for a while, then said, “Anyway, they had a teacher.”

“Sure they had a teacher, but it was not a regular teacher. It was a human.”

“A human? How could a human be a teacher?”

“Well, she told boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions.”

“A human isn’t smart enough.”

“Sure one is.”

Margie wasn’t prepared to dispute that. She said, “I wouldn’t want a stranger in my house to teach me.”

Tommy screamed with laughter. “You don’t know much, Margie. The teachers didn’t live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there.”

“And all the kids learned the same thing?”

“Sure, if they were the same age.”

“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.”

“Just the same they didn’t do it that way. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read the book.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly. She wanted to read about those funny schools.

They weren’t even half finished when Margie’s mother called, “Margie! School!”

Margie looked up. “Not yet, Mamma.”

“Now!” said Mrs. Jones. “And it’s probably time for Tommy, too.”

Margie said to Tommy, “Can I read the book some more with you after school?”

“Maybe,” he said nonchalantly. He walked away whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm.

Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday, because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.

The screen was lit up, and it said:

“Today’s arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper fractions. Please insert yesterday’s homework in the proper slot.”

Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighborhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the homework and talk about it.

And the teachers were people…

The mechanical teacher was flashing on the screen:

“When we add fractions ½ and ¼…”

Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking about the fun they had.

About the Author

Isaac Asimov (born 2 January 1920) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He was known for his work in science fiction and popular science. Asimov was a prolific writer who authored or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. He wrote Hard Science Fiction along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, and was considered one of the best science-fiction writers during his lifetime.

Glossary

• crinkly (adj.) : with many folds or lines
• awfully (adv.) : very; extremely
• attic (n.) : a space just below the roof used as a storeroom
• scornful (adj.) : feeling or expressing contempt
• loftily (adv.) : in a proud or haughty manner
• centuries (n.) : a period of several hundred years
• nonchalantly (adv.) : in a casually calm and relaxed manner

Comprehension

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

1. “She was given test after test in geography.”
2. “He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires.”
3. “She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether.”
4. “They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the homework and talk about it.”
5. “They had a special building and all the kids went there.”

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

Clues: millions of books, real book, yellow and crinkly, words, learning and spending, person, geography, schools, test papers, attic, house, school time, same thing

Tommy and Margie found something about the schools of the past. Tommy found a real book which had been printed on paper. The book was old and the pages were yellow and crinkly. At present, the words were moving on a television screen. The television had over millions of books. He had found the old book in the 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 geography. The mechanical teacher was black and large with a screen. Margie hated the slot where she had to insert her homework or test papers. Margie did not understand how a person could be a teacher and how the students were taught the same thing. Then it was school time for Margie and Tommy. Margie went to the schoolroom in her house, where the mechanical teacher stood. She was thinking about the old school and how much fun the children had, learning and spending time together.

C. Bring out the difference between your school and Margie’s school in the given tabular column.

Margie’s school	Your school
Teacher is a machine.	Teacher is a human being.
Books are in television/screen.	Books are in printed form.
School is at home.	School is a separate building.
There is no playground.	There is a playground.

D. Complete the following statements based on your reading.

1. The old book was found by Tommy in his attic.
2. Margie was surprised to see the old book because its words stood still instead of moving on a screen.
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 learn at regular hours.
5. The geography sector in mechanical teacher was geared a little too quickly.

Think and Write

Answer in about 125–150 words each.

1. Describe Margie’s mechanical teacher and her classroom in your own words.
2. Why did Margie hate her school? What was she thinking about at the end of the story?
3. What was strange about the ‘book’? Why did Margie find it strange?

ICT Corner – Language Games

The website “Games to Learn English” is a repository of various language games and activities. Students can access language-related Flash Games such as Hangman, Prepositions, Spelling Bee, etc.

Demo Steps
1. Type the URL or scan the QR code.
2. Click “Games” on the homepage.
3. Choose any tile to play and proceed to different levels.
4. Games can also be downloaded for offline use.

Download Link
https://www.gamestolearnenglish.com

Practice Practice Exercises

1. She was given test after test in geography.

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

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

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

5. They had a special building and all the kids went there.

Tommy and Margie found something about the (i) of the past. Tommy found a (ii) which has been printed on paper. The book was old and the pages were (iii) At present, the (iv) were moving on a television screen. The television had over (v) . He had found the old book in the (vi) 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) . The mechanical teacher was black and large with a screen. Margie hated the slot where she had to insert her homework or (viii) . Margie did not understand how a (ix) could be a teacher and how the students were taught the (x) . Then it was (xi) for Margie and Tommy. Margie went to the schoolroom in her (xii) , where the mechanical teacher stood. She was thinking about the old school and how much fun the children had, (xiii) time together.

1. The old book was found by

2. Margie was surprised to see the old book because

3. The mechanical teacher was giving Margie

4. Margie had to study always at the same time every day, because her mother said little girls

5. The geography sector in mechanical teacher was

1. Describe Margie’s mechanical teacher and her classroom in your own words.

2. Why did Margie hate her school? What was she thinking about at the end of the story?

3. What was strange about the ‘book’? Why did Margie find it strange?