NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 1 The Fun They Had are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English. Here we have given CBSE Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 1 The Fun They Had.
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 1 The Fun They Had
NCERT Textbook Questions
Thinking about the Text
(Page – 10)
I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
Q. 1. How old are Margie and Tommy?
Answer:-
Margie is eleven years old, and Tommy is thirteen years old
Q. 2. What did Margie write in her diary?
Answer:-
Margie wrote in her diary: “Today, 17 May 2157, Tommy found a real book.”
Q. 3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?
Answer:-
No, Margie had never seen a book before.
Q. 4. What things about the book did she find strange?
Answer:-
Margie found several things about the book strange:
- Yellow and Wrinkled Pages – Unlike the telebooks she was used to, the physical book had pages that had aged and become crinkly.
- Fixed Words – The words in the book remained static, unlike the moving text on a screen.
- Permanent Content – When she turned back to a previous page, the words were still the same as before, which was different from digital books.
These aspects surprised Margie because she was accustomed to reading on a screen where text could change dynamically.
Q. 5. What do you think a telebook is?
Answer:-
A telebook refers to a book that is displayed on a television screen or a computer. Unlike physical books, telebooks do not have pages that can be turned; instead, the text appears on a screen.
Margie and Tommy, the characters in the story, are accustomed to reading telebooks, which are a part of their futuristic education system.
Q. 6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Answer:-
- Margie’s school was located in her own home, right next to her bedroom. She studied alone with a mechanical teacher.
- She did not have any classmates, as education in her time was highly individualized, with students learning separately through computerized systems.
This reflects the futuristic setting of the story, where traditional schools with human teachers and classmates no longer exist.
Q. 7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
Answer:-
Tommy and Margie learnt History, Arithmetic and Geography.
II. Answer the following with reference to the story.
Q. 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?
Answer:-
- Who says these words?
- Tommy says these words.
- What does ‘it’ refer to?
- ‘It’ refers to the real, physical book that Tommy found.
- What is it being compared with by the speaker?
- Tommy compares the physical book with telebooks, which are digital books displayed on a screen.
Q. 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?
Answer:-
- Who does ‘they’ refer to?
- ‘They’ refers to the students who studied in the old kind of schools, where human teachers taught in classrooms.
- What does ‘regular’ mean here?
- ‘Regular’ here refers to the mechanical teachers that Margie and Tommy were accustomed to in their futuristic education system.
- What is it contrasted with?
- It is contrasted with the human teachers of earlier times, who interacted with students in a traditional classroom setting.
III. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
Q. 1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Answer:-
- Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers. These were computerized teaching systems that delivered lessons on screens.
- The mechanical teachers assigned tests and exercises digitally. Students had to submit their work through slots in the machine.
- Unlike human teachers, mechanical teachers lacked emotions and personal interaction. They functioned based on programmed instructions.
This futuristic education system contrasts with traditional schooling, where human teachers guided students in a classroom setting.
Q. 2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?
Answer:-
- Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector because Margie’s mechanical teacher was malfunctioning.
- The teacher had been giving Margie test after test in Geography, and her performance was deteriorating.
- Her mother was concerned that something was wrong with the machine, so she called the County Inspector to fix it.
Q. 3. What did he do?
Answer:-
- The County Inspector examined Margie’s mechanical teacher to identify the issue.
- He found that the geography sector was set too fast, making it difficult for Margie to perform well.
- He adjusted the speed to match Margie’s learning ability so she could understand the subject better.
- He reassured Margie’s mother that there was no major problem and that Margie was progressing fine.
This highlights the highly automated and individualized education system in Margie’s time.
Q. 4. 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 geography sector of her mechanical teacher was set too fast. This made it difficult for her to keep up with the lessons and perform well in tests.
- The County Inspector helped her by adjusting the speed of the mechanical teacher to match Margie’s learning ability. He reassured her mother that Margie was progressing fine and that there was no major issue.
This highlights the highly automated and individualized education system in Margie’s time.
Q. 5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Answer:-
In Chapter 1: The Fun They Had from the Class 9 NCERT English Beehive book:
- Tommy’s mechanical teacher had once been taken away for repairs.
- It had developed a fault, which required it to be fixed before he could resume his lessons.
- Unlike Margie’s teacher, Tommy’s teacher was completely removed for a period of time, whereas Margie’s teacher was only adjusted by the County Inspector.
This highlights the dependence on technology in their futuristic education system.
Q. 6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Answer:-
Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school
- Her mother insisted on a fixed schedule because she believed that studying at the same time every day would help Margie learn better.
- Margie’s mechanical teacher was always available, and she had to attend lessons at a set time in her home classroom.
- Unlike traditional schools, Margie studied alone, without classmates, following a structured routine dictated by her computerized teacher.
Q. 7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Answer:-
- Tommy describes the old kind of school as a place where students studied together in a classroom.
- There was a human teacher who taught the students, unlike the mechanical teachers in Margie’s time.
- Students of the same age learned the same things, and they had friends to interact with.
- Books were printed on paper, and lessons were not displayed on a screen.
Tommy finds this concept strange because he is used to studying alone with a computerized teacher.
Q. 8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?
Answer:-
- Tommy describes the old kind of teachers as human beings who taught students in classrooms.
- Unlike mechanical teachers, human teachers interacted with students, explained concepts, and adjusted lessons based on individual needs.
- They were not programmed machines but real people, which Margie found surprising because she was used to computerized education.
IV. Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100 –150 words).
Q. 1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?
Answer:-
Margie and Tommy’s education system is vastly different from traditional schools. Their mechanical teachers are computerized machines that deliver lessons on a screen. These teachers are programmed to teach specific subjects, assign tests, and evaluate students’ performance. Unlike human teachers, they lack emotions and personal interaction, functioning solely based on algorithms. Margie’s mechanical teacher even had to be adjusted by the County Inspector when its speed was too fast for her.
Their schoolrooms are located in their homes, making education a solitary experience. Margie studies alone in a small room next to her bedroom, without classmates or social interaction. Lessons are displayed on a screen, and students submit their homework through a slot in the machine. This futuristic schooling system contrasts sharply with traditional schools, where students learn together in classrooms under the guidance of human teachers. The story highlights the differences between personalized, technology-driven education and the communal learning experience of the past.
Q. 2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?
Answer:-
Margie hated school because she found her mechanical teacher dull and strict. The computerized system assigned her lessons and tests without any personal interaction, making learning monotonous. She particularly disliked Geography, as the teacher’s speed was too fast for her, causing her to perform poorly. The rigid, isolated nature of her education made her feel frustrated, and she wished for a more engaging learning experience.
Margie thought the old kind of school must have been fun because students studied together in a classroom with a human teacher. She imagined how enjoyable it would be to learn with friends, share experiences, and interact with a teacher who could explain concepts personally. The idea of printed books and group learning fascinated her, making her long for a schooling system that was more social and lively than her computerized education.
Q. 3. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:-
Yes, schools today are more fun than the school in Chapter 1: The Fun They Had from the Class 9 NCERT English Beehive book. Unlike Margie’s isolated learning experience with a mechanical teacher, modern schools provide interactive classrooms where students learn together, engage in discussions, and participate in extracurricular activities. Human teachers explain concepts, encourage creativity, and adapt lessons based on students’ needs, making learning more engaging and effective.
Additionally, schools today promote social interaction, teamwork, and holistic development. Students make friends, share experiences, and participate in sports, cultural events, and group projects, which enhances their overall growth. Margie’s schooling lacked these aspects, making it monotonous and lonely. The presence of teachers, classmates, and physical books makes learning enjoyable, fostering curiosity and enthusiasm among students.