Class 9 : - Unit 2 – Supplementary -The Fun they had – Isaac Asimov

 Unit 2 – Supplementary -The Fun they had – Isaac Asimov

 

Warm up

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

1. What Do You Think Has Come True in the Present Century?

In the image, students are wearing headsets connected to a machine while the teacher feeds books into it—suggesting knowledge is transferred directly to their brains. Although this exact method hasn’t come true, some ideas from the image have partially come true:

·         Technology in classrooms: We use smartboards, tablets, and computers, which make learning more interactive and efficient.

·         Online learning: Like the "knowledge transfer" in the image, modern education uses the internet, videos, and online classes to deliver information quickly and directly.

·         E-books and digital content: Just like the books going into the machine, students today access textbooks digitally.

Headsets for learning: Headphones and VR are now used in many schools to give immersive learning experiences

 

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. -  Margie

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

 

B. Fill in the blanks:

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 screen.	Books are in printed form.
School is at home.	School is in a school building.
Students learn alone.	Students learn together.
No playground.	Has a playground.
Fixed lessons daily at home.	Flexible learning with peers.

 

D. Complete the following statements:

1.       The old book was found by Tommy in the attic of his house.

2.       Margie was surprised to see the old book because the words didn’t move and stayed on the page.

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

E. On the basis of your reading and using your own ideas, answer the following

in about 125-150 words each.

 

1. Describe Margie’s mechanical teacher and her classroom in your own words.
Margie’s mechanical teacher was a large, black, and ugly machine. It had a big screen that displayed her lessons and asked questions. The machine also had a slot for inserting homework and test papers. Margie had to write her work in a special punch code, and the machine would calculate her marks instantly. Her classroom was right next to her bedroom. It was a small space without any other students. Margie had to study alone every day at the same time, except on weekends. Her learning was programmed and controlled by the machine, making it boring and repetitive for her.

2. Why did Margie hate her school? What was she thinking about at the end of the story?
Margie hated her school because it was mechanical and dull. The machine gave her continuous tests, especially in geography, where she was not performing well. She felt frustrated and isolated as she had to study alone without any classmates. At the end of the story, Margie was thinking about how different and fun the old schools must have been. She imagined children laughing and playing together, learning the same lessons, and helping each other with homework. She wished her school could be like that.

3. What was strange about the ‘book’? Why did Margie find it strange?
The book was strange to Margie because it was printed on paper and the words didn’t move. She was used to reading on a screen where the text could be updated or changed. Margie found it funny that the same words stayed on the page even after turning back to the previous page. Since she had never seen a real book before, it felt old-fashioned and unusual to her, though it also made her curious about the past.