Chapter 2 part 1 ⇒
Chapter 2 part 2 ⇒
Chapter at a Glance
| Point |
Detail |
| Author |
Isaac Asimov |
| Genre |
Science fiction short story |
| Setting |
The year 2157, in Margie's home |
| Main characters |
Margie (11 years old), Tommy (13 years old), Margie's mother, the County Inspector |
| Central idea |
Technology can replace teachers, but it cannot replace the joy of learning together |
Summary of the Chapter
The story begins with Margie writing in her diary on 17 May 2157: "Today Tommy found a real book!" It was an old, printed book that Tommy had discovered in his attic. Margie had never seen one before. In her time, all reading material appeared on a screen as telebooks. She was amazed that the pages of this book were yellow and crinkly, and that the words stayed still instead of moving on a screen. She also found it strange that one could read the same page again and it would say the same thing.
Tommy thought it was a waste to throw away a book after reading it, as their own screens held millions of books. The book was about schools of the past. It said that long ago, children went to a special building and sat together in a classroom, where a human teacher taught them. Margie could not understand how a man could be a teacher, because her own teacher was a mechanical one. It was a large machine with a screen, set up in a room next to her bedroom, and it gave her lessons and tests every day.
Margie hated school, especially geography. Her marks kept falling, so her mother sent for the County Inspector. He took the teacher apart, examined it for an hour and put it back together. He found that the geography sector had been set too fast for a girl of her age and slowed it down. He patted her head, smiled and gave her an apple. Margie was still unhappy. She wondered about the old schools, where children of the same age studied together, laughed together and helped one another. The story ends with Margie thinking about the fun the children of the past had.
Old School vs Margie's School
| Feature |
School of the Past |
Margie's School (2157) |
| Teacher |
Human being |
Mechanical teacher |
| Place |
Special building with classroom |
A room at home |
| Students |
Many children learning together |
One child studying alone |
| Books |
Printed on paper |
Telebooks on a screen |
| Homework and tests |
Checked by teacher |
Written in punch code and marked by machine |
NCERT Textbook Questions with Answers
Think as You Read and Thinking about the Text
| No. |
Question |
Answer |
| 1 |
What did Margie write in her diary? |
Margie wrote that Tommy had found a real book that day. It was a very old book, and she noted this on 17 May 2157. |
| 2 |
Had Margie ever seen a book like Tommy's before? |
No. She had only read telebooks on a screen. A printed paper book was new to her. |
| 3 |
What things about the book did she find strange? |
The pages were yellow and crinkly, and the words stood still instead of moving. Also, the same words appeared again when she went back to an earlier page. |
| 4 |
What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have? |
They had mechanical teachers. Each was a large computer-like machine with a screen on which lessons and questions appeared, and a slot where homework was fed in punch code. |
| 5 |
Why did Margie's mother send for the County Inspector? |
Margie was doing worse and worse in geography tests, so her mother called him to check the machine. |
| 6 |
What did the Inspector do? |
He took the teacher apart and put it back together in about an hour. He adjusted the geography sector, patted Margie's head and gave her an apple. |
| 7 |
Why was Margie doing badly in geography? |
The geography sector of her teacher was set too fast for her age and ability, so she could not keep up. |
| 8 |
Why did Margie hate school? |
She studied alone with a machine and had no friends in class. The lessons were rigid and tiring, and geography was especially hard. |
| 9 |
What did Margie think about the old kind of school? |
She imagined that children of the past enjoyed school very much, as they met, played, studied and helped each other in a shared classroom. |
| 10 |
Which part of the old school did Margie like most? |
She liked the idea of learning with other children of her own age, laughing and studying together. |
Extra Questions and Answers
Very Short Answer Type (1 Mark)
| No. |
Question |
Answer |
| 1 |
Who wrote "The Fun They Had"? |
Isaac Asimov. |
| 2 |
In which year is the story set? |
2157. |
| 3 |
How old was Margie? |
Eleven years old. |
| 4 |
Where did Tommy find the book? |
In his attic. |
| 5 |
What did the Inspector give Margie? |
An apple. |
| 6 |
What are telebooks? |
Books shown on a screen, as used in Margie's time. |
| 7 |
In which subject was Margie weak? |
Geography. |
Short Answer Type (30 to 40 Words)
| No. |
Question |
Answer |
| 1 |
Why did Tommy call throwing away books a waste? |
Tommy's screen held millions of books and could hold many more, so he found it wasteful to discard a printed book after reading it once. He would never throw such a book away. |
| 2 |
Why was Margie surprised that a man could be a teacher? |
In her world, teachers were machines. She had never known a human teacher, so the idea of a man teaching children seemed impossible and odd to her. |
| 3 |
Describe Margie's mechanical teacher. |
It was a large machine with a big screen showing lessons and questions. It had a slot for homework in punch code and checked her work instantly. It was kept in a room beside her bedroom. |
| 4 |
How did the Inspector solve the geography problem? |
He examined the teacher for an hour and found the geography sector too fast. He slowed it to suit Margie's level, and he reassured her mother that Margie was not weak. |
| 5 |
What kind of school did the book describe? |
It described a special school building where children of the same age sat together in a classroom. They learned the same lessons from a human teacher and did homework and tests together. |
Long Answer Type (100 to 120 Words)
| No. |
Question |
Answer |
| 1 |
Compare the schools of the past with the schools of Margie's time. Which do you prefer and why? |
Schools of the past had human teachers, shared classrooms and printed books, while Margie learned alone from a mechanical teacher using telebooks. The old system allowed children to talk, play and help one another, whereas Margie's system was lonely and rigid. I prefer the old school because learning is more joyful with friends and a caring teacher who understands emotions. A machine can give information but cannot offer encouragement, humour or friendship. Classrooms also teach teamwork, discipline and communication, which are as important as marks. |
| 2 |
What message does Isaac Asimov give through this story? |
Asimov warns that excessive dependence on technology may take away the human touch from education. Margie has every modern facility, yet she envies children who learned in a noisy classroom. The story shows that machines can teach facts, but they cannot replace teachers, classmates and the happiness of learning together. It also reminds us that we often realise the value of simple things only when we lose them. Technology should support education, not replace human relationships. |
| 3 |
Write a character sketch of Margie. |
Margie is an eleven-year-old girl who lives in 2157. She is curious, as she wonders about the old book and the schools it describes. She is sensitive and lonely, since she studies alone and has no classmates. She dislikes her mechanical teacher, particularly its geography lessons. She is imaginative, because she keeps thinking about the fun children once had in school. Her longing for companionship makes her a thoughtful and relatable character. |
Important Words and Meanings
| Word |
Meaning |
| Crinkly |
Having small folds or wrinkles |
| Loftily |
In a proud, superior manner |
| Sector |
A part or section of something |
| Geared |
Set or adjusted to work at a certain level |
| Mechanical |
Operated by a machine |
| Attic |
A room under the roof of a house |
Themes and Quick Revision
Themes: The story deals with the impact of technology on education, the value of human companionship, loneliness in a machine-driven world and the way people long for what they do not have. Margie's world has advanced tools, but it lacks the shared joy of the old classroom.
| Memory Aid |
Remember |
| 2157 |
Year of the story. Margie is 11 and Tommy is 13. |
| Book, Teacher, Inspector |
Real book from the attic, mechanical teacher, geography sector slowed down. |
| Last line |
Margie keeps thinking about the fun the old-time children had. |
Conclusion: "The Fun They Had" is short, but it carries a powerful message. Learning is more than receiving information, because it also includes friendship, laughter and guidance. For your exams, remember the main events, the comparison of old and new schools, the character of Margie and the author's message about technology.
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