B.D.

M Public School, Maner

Affiliated to C.B.S.E, Delhi up to +2 level (330797)

Worksheet
Class : IX Subject : English

The Fun Day They Had

A. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow each: MARGIE even wrote about it that night
in her diary. On the page headed 17 May 2157, she wrote. "Today Tommy found a real book!"
1) It was a very old book. Margie's grandfather once said that when he was a little boy his grandfather told him
that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper. 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-
you know. And then when they turned back to the page before, it had the same words on it that it had had
when they read it the first time.
Comprehension Questions
1. What did Margie write in her diary?
2. What had Margie's grandfather's grandfather told?
3. What happened when the pages of the old books were turned?
4. Find a word from the passage which means 'very much'. -on a screen.
2) 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. And then when they turned back to the
page before, it had the same words on it that it had had when they read it the first time.
Comprehension Questions
1. What did 'yellow and crinkly' show about the time of the book?
2. How did the words on the pages of the real book appear?
3. What did Margie and Tommy do with the real book?
4. Find a word from the passage which means 'meant'.
3) The Inspector had smiled after he was finished and patted Margie's head. He said to her mother, "It's not the little
girl's fault, Mrs Jones. I think the geography sector was geared a little too quick. Those things happen sometimes.
I've slowed it up to an average ten-year level. Actually, the overall pattern of her progress is quite satisfactory."
And he patted Margie's head again.
Margie was disappointed. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether. They had once
taken Tommy's teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.
Comprehension Questions
1. Why did the inspector pat Margie's head?
2. What was the fault with Margie's TV teacher ?
3. Why was Margie disappointed?
4. Find a phrase from the passage which means ‘gone black'.
4) The screen was lit up, and it said : “Today ‘s arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper fractions. Please insert
yesterday’s homework in the proper slot.”
Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather's grandfather
was a little boy.
Comprehension Questions
1. When was the screen lit up?
2. What did the mechanical teacher ask Margie to do?
3. What kind of schools were in the past when Margie's grandfather's grandfather used to study?
4. Find a word from the passage which means 'put into'.
5) Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather's grandfather
was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting
together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they
could help one another with the homework and talk about it.
 And the teachers were people ..
Comprehension Questions
1. What did Margie do with a sigh?
2. How did the kids go to school in the past?
3. How could they help one another in the homework?
4. Find a word from the passage which means 'taking deep breath'.
6) Margie was disappointed. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether. They had once taken
Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.
(a) Why was Margie disappointed?
(i) Her mechanical teacher was about to be fixed soon.
(ii) Her mechanical teacher was glitching.
(iii) Her performance in tests was deteriorating.
(iv) Her teacher needed to be fixed again.
(b) Why was Tommy’s teacher taken away once?
(c) For how long was Tommy’s teacher away ?
(i) 1 week (ii) 1 month (iii) 1 year (iv) 1 day
(d) How did Margie’s mother know that something was wrong ?
7) He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart. Margie had hoped he wouldn't know how to
put it together again, but he knew how all right, and, after an hour or so, there it was again, large and black and ugly,
with a big screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked.
Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather's grandfather was a
little boy. All the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together
in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one
another with the homework and talk about it.
(a) What was so unique about the teachers, according to Margie? (1)
(b) Why was it that the students in the old type of schools could help each other with homework?
(i) They learned at same pace.
(ii) They learned the same things.
(iii) They learned easier concepts.
(iv) They had a compulsory system of group studying.
(c) What kind of fun things does Margie imagine the students doing?
(d) Which of the following advantages does a human teacher offer?
(i) They could reprimand the students.
(ii) They could teach the students better.
(iii) They could understand the students.
(iv) They could join in for all sorts of fun activities.

B) Short answer type questions.

1) What did Mergie write in her diary and when ? What was so surprising in writing ‘that’ in her diary ?
2) What was the condition of the book that Tommy had found ? What was so funny about it ?
3) What was Tommy’s reaction to the real book ?
Or,
How did Tommy react after seeing the real book ?
4) What was the book about ? Where did Tommy find it ? Why did Tommy call it ‘a waste’ ?
5) Why did Margie hate ‘school’ ? What kind was it ?
6) What did Margie think after inserting her homework in the paper slot ?
7) Why did Margie’s mother call for the County Insepctor ? How did he look ?
Or,
Why did Margie’s mother send for
8) How did Margie learn her lessons on the mechanical teacher ?
9) Margie was disappointed. Why was Margie disappointed ?
10) What does Tommy tell Margie about schools ?
Or
How did Tommy describe the ‘old kind of school?
11) What did Margie think of old school ?
 12) What was so charming about the old schools that Margie continued to think even when her mechanical
teacher was flashing?
13) How important is the use of the technology in education?
14) What is the environmental advantage of technology?
C) Long answer type questions.
1) What did Margie write about in her diary ? What did she learn about schools from Tommy?
2) What problem had Margie been facing with her mechanical teacher ? Why did she hate it? What did her
mother do to help her?
Or,
“It’s not the little girl’s fault, Mrs. Jones”. Why did the country Inspector say so ? What did he do ?
3) How do Margie and Tommy react to the real book when they find it ?
4) In the story, “the Fun They Had”, do you think that ‘they really had much fun’ ?
5) Write an article for your school magazine on, “Technology a born or a bane”.
6) It was a very warm day. Unfortunately, the current supply had failed. Shyam had to use his computer to ………………….
Complete the story and give it a suitable title.
7) You are Margie. Write a letter to the Country Inspector, requesting him to introduce the old style of education.