12 Questions
What did Tommy find that excited Margie?
A real book
How did Margie's grandfather describe a time when all stories were printed on paper?
He mentioned that all stories were printed on paper and pages were turned manually.
Why did Tommy find it a waste to throw away books?
Tommy found it a waste because their television screen had many books and was reusable.
Where did Tommy find the real book?
In the attic of his house.
What was the real book about?
School.
Why did Margie hate school even more after discussing the book with Tommy?
Margie hated school more because she found it pointless to read about school in a book.
Why did Margie's mother send for the County Inspector?
Margie had been doing worse in geography tests given by the mechanical teacher.
What did the County Inspector do to the mechanical teacher?
He took it apart and then put it back together again.
Why was Margie disappointed after the County Inspector visited?
She had hoped they would take the teacher away altogether.
Why did Tommy say that a man could be a teacher in the old kind of school?
He mentioned that a man could tell the boys and girls things, give them homework, and ask them questions.
Why was Margie hurt by Tommy's comment about the man being a teacher?
Margie was hurt because she didn't know what kind of school existed centuries ago.
According to Tommy, how smart did he think a man could be as a teacher?
Tommy believed a man could be as smart as his father, who he thought knew almost as much as his teacher.
Study Notes
The Story of Margie
- Margie is a student who has been performing poorly in geography tests given by her mechanical teacher.
- The County Inspector, a round little man with a red face and various tools, is called to fix the teacher.
- The Inspector takes the teacher apart, repairs it, and adjusts the geography sector to a 10-year-old level, making it less challenging.
The Mechanical Teacher
- The mechanical teacher is a large, black, and ugly device with a screen that shows lessons and asks questions.
- It has a slot where Margie has to insert her homework and test papers, which are written in a punch code.
Margie's Frustration
- Margie is disappointed that the Inspector doesn't remove the teacher altogether.
- She had been hoping for a reprieve, like Tommy, whose history sector had blanked out, and his teacher was removed for a month.
The Old Kind of School
- Tommy shows Margie a very old book about a school that existed hundreds of years ago.
- The school had a teacher, a man, who taught students and gave them homework and asked questions.
Margie's Diary
- Margie writes about her encounter with the old book in her diary on May 17, 2157.
- She notes that the book was found in the attic of Tommy's house.
Test your understanding of the short story 'The Fun They Had' by Isaac Asimov. This quiz covers key plot points and themes from the story about a futuristic society where children learn from robotic teachers.
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