NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1 The Fun They Had

NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1: NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 1 are like guides that help you understand the first chapter of your English book. They explain things clearly and answer questions so that you can learn better.

NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1 PDF

NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1 The Fun They Had

Thinking About Text

Thinking about the Text

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

Question 1. How old are Margie and Tommy?

Answer: Margie is 11 and Tommy is 13 years old.

Question 2. What did Margie write in her diary?

Answer: She wrote in her diary “Today Tommy found a real book!”

Question 3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?

Answer: No, Margie had never seen a book before.

Question 4. What things about the book did she find strange?

Answer: The aspects of the book that Margie found strange were:

Question 5. What do you think a telebook is?

Answer: I think the telebook must be a book that gets displayed on the screen of the television.

Question 6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?

Answer: Margie's school was located next to her bedroom in her house. She did not have any classmates because she was taught individually by a mechanical teacher through a screen at home.

Question 7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?

Answer: Tommy and Margie learnt History, Arithmetic and Geography.

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II. Answer the following with reference to the story.

Question 1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”

Answer: (i) Tommy says these words.

Question 2. “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”

Answer: (i) “They” refers to the students centuries ago.

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

Question 1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?

Answer: Margie and Tommy were taught by mechanical teachers, which featured large screens displaying all the lessons and asking questions. Instead of human teachers, the children learned from computer and television screens.

Question 2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?

Answer: Margie's mother called the County Inspector because Margie's mechanical teacher was malfunctioning. Despite Margie's efforts, the teacher kept administering Geography tests, and her performance worsened with each attempt. Worried about Margie's education, her mother sought assistance from the County Inspector.

Question 3. What did he do?

Answer: The County Inspector greeted Margie with a smile and offered her an apple. He then removed the mechanical teacher from her possession. Afterward, he repaired the mechanical teacher, explaining to Margie's mother that the geography section had been operating at an overly rapid pace. He adjusted it to a more suitable level, equivalent to that of an average ten-year-old.

Question 4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her?

Answer: Margie's performance in geography was suffering because the questions presented on the mechanical teacher's screen were too fast-paced for her age level.

Question 5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?

Answer: Tommy's teacher had to be completely removed for a month because the history sector had completely malfunctioned and stopped working.

Question 6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?

Answer: Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school. Margie's mother believed that having consistent and structured learning times would help Margie learn better.

Question 7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?

Answer: Tommy mentions that in the old type of school, there were dedicated buildings where all the children gathered to study.

Question 8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?

Answer: He explains to Margie that in the past, teachers were human beings rather than machines. These human teachers would teach the students, assign homework, and ask them questions to test their understanding.

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

Question 1: What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?

Answer: The main features of the mechanical teachers that Margie and Tommy have are as follows:

1. Large black screens: Mechanical teachers are equipped with big black screens where lessons are displayed, and questions are asked.
2. Homework and tests: Students need to insert their homework and test papers into a slot in the mechanical teacher for assessment. They write answers in punch code format, and the mechanical teacher calculates the results instantly.

1. Home-based schooling: In the story, schools are situated within homes. For example, Margie's school is located right next to her bedroom, suggesting a convenient and domestic approach to education.
2. Individualized learning: Students do not have classmates in these schoolrooms, indicating a personalized learning environment tailored to each student's needs.
3. Subject diversity: Students study various subjects like arithmetic, history, geography, etc., indicating a comprehensive curriculum aimed at holistic development.
4. Consistent schedule: The mechanical teacher turns on at the same time every day, except on weekends, suggesting a structured and regular approach to education.

Question 2: Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?

Answer: Margie disliked school because she found it monotonous. The mechanical teacher followed a strict schedule, starting class at the same time every day. Margie's frustration grew as her mechanical teacher incessantly tested her on Geography, with her performance deteriorating each time.