The Fun They Had

Extract Based Questions

Question Number 1
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!” 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.
Q1. What did Margie write about in her diary?
A1. Margie wrote about Tommy finding a real book in her diary.
Q2. When was the page in Margie’s diary headed?
A2. The page in Margie’s diary was headed 17 May 2157.
Q3. What did Margie’s grandfather say about books?
A3. Margie’s grandfather said that when he was a little boy his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper.
Q4. What did Tommy find?
A4. Tommy found a very old book.

Question Number 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.
Q1. What colour were the pages?
A1. The pages were yellow.
Q2. What was funny about reading the words?
A2. It was funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to on a screen.
Q3. What happened when they turned back to the page before?
A3. The same words were on it that it had had when they read it the first time.
Q4. What did the words usually do on a screen?
A4. The words usually moved on a screen.

Question Number 3
“Gee,” said Tommy, “what a waste. When you’re through with the book, you just throw it away, I guess. Our television screen must have had a million books on it and it’s good for plenty more. I wouldn’t throw it away.”“Same with mine,” said Margie. She was eleven and hadn’t seen as many telebooks as Tommy had. He was thirteen.
Q1. Who is Tommy?
A1. Tommy is a thirteen-year-old boy.
Q2. What did Tommy suggest?
A2. Tommy suggested not throwing away the television screen as it had had a million books on it and was good for plenty more.
Q3. Who is Margie?
A3. Margie is an eleven-year-old girl.
Q4. How many telebooks had Margie seen?
A4. Margie had not seen as many telebooks as Tommy had.

Question Number 4
She said, “Where did you find it?” “In my house.” He pointed without looking, because he was busy reading. “In the attic.” “What’s it about?” “School.” Margie was scornful. “School? What’s there to write about school?
I hate school.”
Q1. Where did he find it?
A1. He found it in the attic of his house.
Q2. What was he doing when she pointed to the attic?
A2. He was busy reading.
Q3. What was Margie’s reaction to the book being about school?
A3. Margie was scornful and said she hated school.
Q4. What was the book about?
A4. The book was about school.

Question Number 5
Margie always hated school, but now she hated it more than ever. The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had
shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County Inspector.
Q1. Who sent for the County Inspector?
A1. Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector.
Q2. What did Margie hate more than ever?
A2. Margie hated school more than ever.
Q3. What had the mechanical teacher been giving Margie?
A3. The mechanical teacher had been giving Margie test after test in geography.
Q4. What did Margie’s mother do when she saw Margie’s poor performance?
A4. Margie’s mother shook her head sorrowfully when she saw Margie’s poor performance.

Question Number 6
He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires. 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. That wasn’t so bad. The part Margie hated most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. She always had to write them out in a punch code they made her learn when she was six years old, and the mechanical teacher calculated the marks in no time.
Q1. Who was the round little man with a red face?
A1. The round little man with a red face was a technician.
Q2. What did the technician give to Margie?
A2. The technician gave Margie an apple.
Q3. What was the part Margie hated most?
A3. The part Margie hated most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers.
Q4. How did the mechanical teacher calculate the marks? A4. The mechanical teacher calculated the marks in no time by using a punch code that Margie had to learn when she was six years old.

Question Number 7
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.
Q1. Who is the Inspector?
A1. The Inspector is a person who is assessing Margie’s progress.
Q2. What did the Inspector do after he was finished?
A2. The Inspector smiled and patted Margie’s head.
Q3. What did the Inspector say to Margie’s mother?
A3. The Inspector said to Mrs Jones, “It’s not the little girl’s fault, Mrs Jones. I think the geography sector was geared a little too quick.”
Q4. What did the Inspector do after he said his statement?
A4. After he said his statement, the Inspector patted Margie’s head again.

Question Number 8
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. So she said to Tommy, “Why would anyone write about school?”
Q1. Why was Margie disappointed?
A1. Margie was disappointed because she had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether.
Q2. What had happened to Tommy’s teacher?
A2. Tommy’s teacher had been taken away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.
Q3. What did Margie say to Tommy?
A3. Margie said to Tommy, “Why would anyone write about school?”
Q4. What caused Tommy’s teacher to be taken away?
A4. The history sector had blanked out completely, which caused Tommy’s teacher to be taken away for nearly a month.

Question Number 9
Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes. “Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid. This is the old kind of school that they had hundreds and hundreds of years ago.” He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago.”
Q1. What did Tommy look at her with?
A1. Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes.
Q2. What kind of school was this?
A2. This was the old kind of school that they had hundreds and hundreds of years ago.
Q3. How did Tommy pronounce the word?
A3. Tommy pronounced the word carefully.
Q4. How long ago was this school?
A4. This school was centuries ago.

Question Number 10
Margie was hurt. “Well, I don’t know what kind of school they had all that time ago.” She read the book over his shoulder for a while, then said, “Anyway, they had a teacher.” “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”
Q1. Who was hurt?
A1. Margie was hurt.
Q2. What was Margie reading?
A2. Margie was reading a book over someone’s shoulder.
Q3. Did the school they had a long time ago have a teacher?
A3. Yes, the school had a teacher.
Q4. Was the teacher a regular teacher?
A4. No, the teacher was not a regular teacher, it was a man.

Question Number 11
“A man? How could a man be a teacher?” “Well, he just told the boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions.” “A man isn’t smart enough.” “Sure he is. My father knows as much as my
teacher.” “He knows almost as much, I betcha.” Margie wasn’t prepared to dispute that. She said, “I wouldn’t want a strange man in my house to teach me.”
Q1. Who said “A man isn’t smart enough”?
A1. Margie said “A man isn’t smart enough”.
Q2. Who was not prepared to dispute that a man could be a teacher?
A2. Margie was not prepared to dispute that a man could be a teacher.
Q3. What did the man do as a teacher?
A3. The man told the boys and girls things, gave them homework, and asked them questions as a teacher.
Q4. What did Margie say she wouldn’t want?
A4. Margie said she wouldn’t want a strange man in her house to teach her.

Question Number 12
Tommy screamed with laughter. “You don’t know much, Margie. The teachers didn’t live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there.” “And all the kids learned the same thing?” “Sure, if they were the same age.”
Q1. Who screamed with laughter?
A1. Tommy screamed with laughter.
Q2. Where did the teachers live?
A2. The teachers lived in a special building.
Q3. Did the kids go to the same building as the teachers?
A3. Yes, the kids went to the same building as the teachers.
Q4. Did the kids learn the same thing if they were the same age?
A4. Yes, the kids learned the same thing if they were the same age.

Question Number 13
“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.” “Just the same they didn’t do it that way then. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read the book.” “I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly. She wanted to read about those funny schools. They weren’t even half finished when Margie’s mother called, “Margie! School!” Margie looked up. “Not yet, Mamma.” “Now!” said Mrs Jones. “And it’s probably time for Tommy, too.” Margie said to Tommy, “Can I read the book some more with you after school?”
Q1. What did Margie’s mother say about teaching?
A1. Margie’s mother said that a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.
Q2. What did Margie’s mother call her?
A2. Margie’s mother called her “Margie!”
Q3. What did Margie say to Tommy?
A3. Margie asked Tommy if she could read the book some more with him after school.
Q4. What did Mrs Jones say to Margie?
A4. Mrs Jones said “Now!” to Margie.

Question Number 14
“May be,” he said nonchalantly. He walked away whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm. Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday, because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours. 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.”
Q1. What was the dusty old book tucked beneath the arm of the person?
A1. The dusty old book was not specified.
Q2. What did the screen say when Margie went into the schoolroom?
A2. The screen said, “Today’s arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper fractions. Please insert yesterday’s homework in the proper slot.”
Q3. What did Margie’s mother say about learning?
A3. Margie’s mother said that little girls learn better if they learn at regular hours.
Q4. What days did the mechanical teacher not turn on?
A4. The mechanical teacher did not turn on on Saturdays and Sundays.

Question Number 15
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 neighborhood 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…
The mechanical teacher was flashing on the screen: “When we add fractions ½ and ¼…” Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking about the fun they had.
Q1. What was Margie doing?
A1. Margie was sighing.
Q2. What was the mechanical teacher saying?
A2. The mechanical teacher was saying, “When we add fractions ½ and ¼…”
Q3. What was Margie thinking about?
A3. Margie was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy and how the kids must have loved it in the old days.
Q4. What did the kids do together in the old days?
A4. The kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughed and shouted in the schoolyard, sat together in the schoolroom, and went home.