NCERT Solutions of Chapter: The Fun They Had. NCERT Solutions along with worksheets and notes for Class 9.
Activity
Calculate how many years and months ahead from now Margie’s diary entry is.
Ans-
Today’s date – 1st January 2020
Date mentioned by Margie = 17th May 2157
Difference between time = 137 years 4 months and 16 days
(I) Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
(1) How old are Margie and Tommy?
Ans – Margie is eleven years old and Tommy is thirteen years old.
(2) What did Margie write in her diary?
Ans- Margie wrote, “Today Tommy found a real book!” in her diary.
(3) Had Margie ever seen a book before?
Ans- Margie had never seen a paper book before.
(4) What things about the book did she find strange?
Ans- The things about the book she found strange are listed below –
(i) The book is paper book.
(ii) The pages of book are yellow and crinkly.
(iii) Words of book are still.
(iv) The book is about a school.
(5)What do you thing a telebook is?
Ans- A telebook is a book which is displayed on computer.
(6) Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Ans- Margie’s school was in the next room to her bedroom.
No, she did not have any classmates.
(7) What subjects did Margie and Tommy learns?
Ans- Margie learnt Geography and Mathematics. Tommy learnt History.
(II) Answer the following with reference to the story.
(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?
Ans-
(i) Tommy says these words.
(ii) ‘It’ refers to computer screen of Tommy.
(iii) It is being compared to paper books by the speaker.
(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?
Ans-
(i) ‘They’ refer to the students of old days.
(ii) ‘Regular’ means a mechanical teacher, which is normal in Margie’s and Tommy’s time.
(iii) ‘It’ is contrasted with a mechanical teacher.
(III) Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
(1) What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Ans- Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers who taught them individually and can adjust according to their learning level. The mechanical teacher showed lessons, questions and test papers on screen. Mechanical teacher calculated marks of students when they submit their answers in a minute.
(2) Why did Margie’s mother send for the county Inspector?
Ans- Margie’s mother called the County Inspector because Margie was not performing well in her geography sector test. The mechanical teacher was giving her test after test. But, she was not scoring well.
(3) What did he do?
Ans- He took the mechanic teacher away and slowed down the computer up to an average ten- year level. He corrected Margie’s mechanic teacher in an hour.
(4) Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her?
Ans- Margie was doing badly in geography because her mechanical teacher geared up to high level. The County Inspector slowed down it to ten year level.
(5) What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Ans- Tommy’s history teacher was completely blanked out and it had taken away for one month.
(6)Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Ans- Margie had regular days and hours for school because her mother said that learning at regular hours are always good for little girls. Margie’s school was in next room to her bedroom. Therefore, she had regular hours and days decided by her mother.
(7) How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Ans- Tommy described the old kind of school as a separate building where students went for learning. The man teacher told things to students gave them homework. He also asked them questions.
(8) How does he describe the old kind of teachers?
Ans- He described the old kind of teacher as a man teacher who taught students. The man teacher gave homework and asked questions.
(Iv) Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100 – 150 words).
(1) What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?
Ans- The mechanical teacher of Margie and Tommy is a machine. The lessons and questions display on screen of the machine. The mechanical teacher can count marks of test paper in a minute.
Schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in story are next to their bedrooms. There is a mechanic teacher in the schoolroom. The mechanic teacher is always on except Saturday and Sunday.
(2) Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?
Ans-
Margie hated school because she is not performing well in the geographical sector. Her mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test and she had been doing worse and worse.
She read in the old paper book that students of that time went to school together, spent time together, play and study together. Therefore, she thought that the old kind of school must have been fun.
(3) Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans- Yes, I agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story.
Students came to school. They perform many activities in present time schools. They play and study together. They learn many other things in school together. But, students study in their rooms separately in schools of the story. They spent time alone. Therefore, students of our time have more fun than students of story.
Thinking about Language
(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.
(1) Find the sentences in the lesson which have the adverbs given in the box below.
Awfully sorrowfully completely loftily
Carefully differently quickly nonchalantly
Ans-
Sentence for awfully from book-
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.
Sentence for sorrowfully from book-
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.
Sentence for completely from book-
They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.
Sentence for loftily from book-
He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, ” Centuries ago.”
Sentence for carefully from book-
He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, ” Centuries ago.”
Sentence for differently from book-
“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.
Sentence for quickly from book-
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly.
Sentence for nonchalantly from book-
“May be,” he said nonchalantly.
(2) Now use these adverbs to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.
(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.
Remember
An adverb describes action. You can form adverb by adding –ly to adjectives.
Spelling Note: When an adjective ends in –y, the y changes to i when you add –ly to form an adverb.
For example: anger-y – angr-i-ly
(3) Make adverbs from these adjectives.
| SN | Adjectives | Adverbs |
| (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
- Imagine that Margie’s mother told her,” You’ll feel awful if you don’t finish your history lesson.”
- She could also say: ”You’ll feel awful unless you finish your history lesson.”
Unless means if not. Sentences with unless or if not are negative conditional sentences.
Notice that these sentences have two parts. The part that begins with if not or unless tells us the condition. This part has a verb in the present tense (look at the verbs don’t finish, finish in the sentence above).
The other part of the sentence tells us about a possible result. It tells us what will happen (if something else doesn’t happen). The verb in this part of the sentence is in the future tense (you ‘ll feel/you will feel).
Notice these two tenses again in the following examples.
| Future Tense | Present Tense | |
| There won’t be any books left | unless
|
We preserve them.
|
| You won’t learn your lessons | if | You don’t study regularly. |
| Tommy will have an accident | Unless | He drives slowly. |
Complete the following conditional sentences. Use the correct form of the verb.
(1) If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, she will be sad.
(2) If you don’t telephone the hotel or order food, you will be hungry.
(3) Unless you promise to write back, I won’t let you go.
(4) If she doesn’t play any games, she will not be fit.
(5) Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat will try to catch them.
Writing
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, 1632Asaf 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
Your letter might look like this:
Your address
Date _________________(DD/MM/YY)
The addressee’s address
____________
_____________
Dear Sir/Madam,
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Yours sincerely
Your signature
Remember that the language of a formal letter is different from the colloquial style of personal letters. For example, contracted forms such as ‘I’ve’ or ‘can’t’ are not used.
Ans-
XYZ (Address is not mentioned)
Date: 11/11/11
The publisher,
Mindfame Private Limited,
1632 Asaf Ali Road,
New Delhi
Dear Sir/Madam,
I came to know that new revised volume of Issac Asimov’s short stories has just been released. Please, send one set to given address by VPP.
Yours sincerely,
ABC (Name is not mentioned)
Your signature
Speaking
In groups of four discuss the following topic.
“The Schools of the Future Will Have No Books and No Teachers!”
Your group can decide to speak for or against the motion. After this, each group will select a speaker to present its view to the entire class.
You may find the following phrases useful to present your argument in the debate.
- In my opinion….
- I/we fall to understand why….
- I wholeheartedly support/ oppose the view that….
- At the outset let me say….
- I’d/we’d like to raise the issue of/argue against…
- I should like to draw attention to…
- My/our worthy opponent has submitted that….
- On the contrary….
- I firmly reject….
Ans-
We are providing some points in for and against the motion. You can use these points in your arguments.
Views in for the motion-
(1) Good for students who has to work for livelihood.
(2) Students can learn according to their own time.
(3) No fear of punishment.
(4) No need to carry load of books.
(5) No separate building to maintain.
(6) Students can study according to their ability.
(7) Result of students will be out immediately.
(8) Lessons can be adjusted according to the student.
(9) Students can use their time to learn many other activities.
(10) Students can learn lessons from mechanical teachers of other country.
Views in against the motion-
(1) You can not ask questions to a machine.
(2) No learning of social bounding.
(3) A human teacher can understand better human students.
(4) No playing or physical exercise of students which is very necessary for the students.
(5) A single room can not replace a school.
(6) Paper books are better than tally books. You can touch them and write important points on them.
(7) Learning in class increase competitiveness among students.
(8) Learning in class or in a school also helps students to learn human behavior.
(9) Activities like games, dance performance, drawing, singing, learning musical instrument and many more activities can be possible only in school.
(10) You can not avoid your teacher.
Helping Topics
School help by gunjan 