Thinking about the Text

Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.

Q1. How old are Margie and Tommy?
Answer:  Margie is eleven years old and Tommy is thirteen years old.

Q2. What did Margie write in her diary?
Answer:  In her diary entry on 17 May 2157, Margie wrote, “Today Tommy found a real book!”.

Q3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?
Answer: No, Margie had never seen a real book before. Her grandfather had told her about a time when his own grandfather said all stories were printed on paper.

Q4. What things about the book did she find strange?
Answer: She found it strange that the pages were yellow and crinkly, and the words stood still instead of moving on a screen. She also found it odd that when they turned back to a page, it had the same words on it as when they had read it the first time.

Q5. What do you think a telebook is?
Answer:  A telebook is an electronic book displayed on a screen. The text on a telebook can be moved and it can store a vast number of books.

Q6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Answer:  Margie’s school was in her house, right next to her bedroom. She did not have any classmates.

Q7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
Answer:  Margie learned geography and arithmetic. The story also mentions that Tommy’s teacher had a history sector.

II Answer the following with reference to the story.

Q1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”

(i) Who says these words?
Answer:  These words are said by Tommy.

(ii) What does ‘it’ refer to?
Answer: ‘It’ refers to the television screen with all its telebooks.

 (iii) What is it being compared with by the speaker?
Answer: It is being compared to the old, real book which Tommy believes is a waste because it has to be thrown away after one is through with it.

Q2. “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”

(i) Who does ‘they’ refer to?
Answer: ‘They’ refers to the students in the old schools from hundreds of years ago.

(ii) What does ‘regular’ mean here?
Answer:  Here, ‘regular’ refers to the mechanical teacher that Margie and Tommy have.

(iii) What is it contrasted with?
Answer:  It is contrasted with a human teacher, which is what the old schools had.

III. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

Q1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Answer:  Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers. These were large machines with a big screen that taught them lessons and gave them tests and homework.

 Q2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?
Answer: Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector because Margie had been performing poorly in her geography tests, and her mother was worried.

Q3. What did he do?
Answer: The County Inspector took the mechanical teacher apart and adjusted its geography sector, which was set too fast for Margie. He then put the machine back together.

Q4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her?
Answer: Margie was doing badly in geography because the mechanical teacher’s geography sector was “geared a little too quick.” The County Inspector slowed it down to an average ten-year-old level to help her improve.

Q5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Answer: Tommy’s teacher was once taken away for almost a month because its history sector had blanked out completely.

Q6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Answer:  Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school. Her mechanical teacher was on at the same time every day, except on Saturdays and Sundays, because her mother believed that little girls learned better that way.

Q7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Answer:  Tommy describes the old kind of school as a special building where all the kids from the neighborhood went, laughed, and shouted in the schoolyard. They sat together in the classroom and went home together.

 Q8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?
Answer: He describes the old kind of teachers as people, not machines. He explains that they told boys and girls things, gave them homework, and asked them questions.

IV Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100-150 words).

Q1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?
Answer: The mechanical teachers are large, black, and ugly machines with a big screen. They show lessons and ask questions, and students have to submit homework and test papers in a punch code. The teachers are personalized, meaning they are adjusted to fit the mind and level of each student.

The schoolrooms are also very different from what we know. They are not in a separate building but are located inside the students’ homes. Margie’s schoolroom is right next to her bedroom. She studies alone, and her mechanical teacher is on at the same time every day, except for weekends. This virtual setup provides no opportunity for social interaction or group learning.

Q2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?
Answer:  Margie hated her school because it was a lonely and uninspiring experience. She was frustrated because she was doing poorly in geography, and she disliked the routine of putting her homework and test papers into the mechanical teacher’s slot. The learning was monotonous, without the fun and social interaction that she imagined existed in the past.

She thought the old kind of school must have been fun because she imagined a shared experience. She pictured all the kids from the neighborhood laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the classroom, and helping one another with homework. The idea of having a human teacher and the camaraderie that would come from a communal learning environment was a fascinating and appealing thought for her.

Q3. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:  Yes, I agree with Margie that schools today are more fun. The school system in the story is isolating and impersonal. Margie learns alone with a machine, which, while technically advanced, cannot provide the human connection and social development that are so vital for a child. There is no joy of discovery or competition with peers.

In contrast, schools today offer a rich social environment. Students interact with teachers and classmates, forming friendships and a sense of community. The laughter, shouting, and shared experiences in a classroom and schoolyard are essential parts of childhood. They learn cooperation, empathy, and social skills that are impossible to acquire from a mechanical teacher. The “fun they had” is precisely the reason why our schools, despite their imperfections, are a much better and more joyful model of education.

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.

• awfully: “it was awfully funny to read words…”
• sorrowfully: “…her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully…”
• completely: “…the history sector had blanked out completely.”
• loftily: “He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully…”
• carefully: “pronouncing the word carefully…”
• differently: “…each kid has to be taught differently.”
• quickly: “Margie said quickly.”
• nonchalantly: “May be,” he said nonchalantly.

Q2. Now use these adverbs to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.

1. The report must be read ……………….. so that performance can be improved.
2. At the interview, Sameer answered our questions ……………….., shrugging his shoulders.
3. We all behave ……………….. when we are tired or hungry.
4. The teacher shook her head ……………….. when Ravi lied to her.
5. I ……………….. forgot about it.
6. When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled ……………….. and turned away.
7. The President of the Company is ……………….. busy and will not be able to meet you.
8. I finished my work ……………….. so that I could go out to play.

Answer:

1. The report must be read carefully to improve performance
2. .At the interview, Sameer answered our questions nonchalantly.
3. We all behave differently when we are tired or hungry.
4. The teacher shook her head sorrowfully when Ravi lied to her.
5. I completely forgot about it.
6. When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled loftily and turned away.
7. The President of the Company is awfully busy and can’t meet you.
8. I finished my work quickly so I could go play.

Q3.Make adverbs from these adjectives.

1. angry …………….
2. happy …………….
3. merry …………….
4. sleepy …………….
5. easy …………….
6. noisy …………….
7. tidy …………….
8. gloomy …………….

Answers:

1. Turn these adjectives into adverbs.
2. angry →angrily
3. happy → happily
4. merry → merrily
5. sleepy → sleepily
6. easy → easily
7. noisy → noisily
8. tidy → tidily
9. 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 sentences 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 feelI you will feel).

Notice these two tenses again in the following examples:

Q1.Complete these sentences using the correct verb form.

1. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight,
   ………………………..
2. If you don’t telephone the hotel to order food,
   ………………………..
3. Unless you promise to write back, I
   ………………………..
4. If she doesn’t play any games,
   ………………………..
5. Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat
   ………………………..

Answer:

1. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, she’ll be disappointed.
2. If you don’t call the hotel to order food, we’ll go hungry.
3. Unless you promise to write back, I won’t send you another letter.
4. If she doesn’t play any games, she’ll get out of shape.
5. Unless that little bird flies away fast, the cat will catch it.

Writing

A new revised volume of Isaac Asimov’s short stories has just been released. Order one set. Write a letter to the publisher, Mindfame Private Limited, 1632 Asaf 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.

Answer:

123 My Street Address

Guwahati, Assam 781001

August 10, 2025

Mindfame Private Limited

1632 Asaf Ali Road

New Delhi

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to order one copy of the new revised volume of Isaac Asimov’s short stories. I kindly request that you send the book to me via Value Payable Post (VPP).

My shipping address is:

[Your Name]

123 My Street Address

Guwahati, Assam 781001

I appreciate your help and look forward to receiving the book soon.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

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 views to the entire class.

You may find the following phrases useful to present your argument in the debate.

• In my opinion . . .
• I/we fail 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 . . .

Answers:
In favour of the motion.

The schools of the future will have no books and no teachers because of . 

1. the emerging computer and digital technologies.
2. the widespread availability of the internet links.
3. the innovative educational and application software.
4. the parents attitudinal changes.
5. the non-availability of skilled, competent and experienced teachers.
6. considerable emphasis on vocational courses.
7. the pupils’ broader perspective.
8. the modern and latest electronic gadgets.
9. ingenious invention of educational CD’s and TV programmes.
10. excessive wastage of stationery.

Against the motion.

The schools of the future will have no books. As a result,

1. the modem students will become the slaves of machines.
2. the teachers will be replaced by mechanical instructors.
3. the educationists will not intend to teach the students humanity and ethics.
4. the modern man will become materialistic and commercial.
5. the human beings will have no sentiments and human values.
6. the students will become arrogant and indisciplined.
7. the future of posterity is in dark.
8. the students will have no respect for their parents, elders and peers.
9. the feelings of fraternity will be no more.
10. the harmonious growth of a child will have no significance