Samacheer Kalvi Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 2 The Fun They Had

9th English Guide The Fun They Had Textbook Questions And Answers

A. Identify The Character Or Speaker Of The Following Lines.

Question 1. She was given test after test in geography ..........................
Answer: Margie was the one who kept getting tests in geography. She found them difficult, making her dislike school even more. This shows how learning was personalized but also stressful for her.
In simple words: This line is about Margie, who was struggling with her geography tests given by the mechanical teacher.

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying a character, look for pronouns and actions that link directly to a specific person in the story.

Question 2. He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires ..........................
Answer: The Country Inspector is described in this way. He was the person who came to fix mechanical teachers when they had problems. His appearance suggests he was a hands-on, practical person who worked with machines.
In simple words: This describes the Country Inspector, who came to repair Margie's mechanical teacher.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to physical descriptions and job roles mentioned in the text to correctly identify characters.

Question 3. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether ..........................
Answer: Margie was hoping this because she found her mechanical teacher boring and difficult. She wished it would be removed, just like Tommy's teacher had been taken away for a while. This highlights her strong dislike for her current schooling method.
In simple words: Margie hoped her mechanical teacher would be taken away because she disliked it.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand the character's feelings and desires to correctly attribute such internal thoughts or hopes.

Question 4. They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the home work and talk about it ..........................
Answer: This refers to the students of the old school. Tommy was explaining to Margie how children in the past went to a common school building and learned together. This created a sense of community and mutual help among them.
In simple words: This refers to the students who went to the old-fashioned schools.

🎯 Exam Tip: Context is key. When a statement talks about a group activity or historical practice, consider who would be involved in such a scenario.

Question 5. They had a special building and all the kids went there ..........................
Answer: Tommy said this when he was describing the old school to Margie. He was amazed by the idea of a physical school building where all the children went. This part shows Tommy's understanding of how different education was in the past.
In simple words: Tommy is the speaker here, explaining the old school system to Margie.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember who is providing information about the past or explaining concepts to another character to pinpoint the speaker.

B. Fill In The Blanks With The Clues Given Below To Complete The Paragraph.

Question 1. Complete the paragraph by filling in the blanks.
Answer: Tommy and Margie found something about the (1) real book of the past. Tommy found a (2) real book which has been printed on paper. The book was old and the pages were (3) yellow and crinkly. At present, the (4) words were moving on a television screen. The television had over (5) million of books. He had found the old book in the (6) attic of his house. While reading Tommy found that it was about the old schools. Margie hated school because she was having problems with learning (7) geography. The mechanical teacher was black and large with a screen. Margie hated the slot where she had to insert her homework or (8) test papers. Margie did not understand how a (9) person could be a teacher and how the students were taught the (10) same thing. Then it was (11) time for Margie and Tommy. Margie went to the schoolroom in her (12) house where the mechanical teacher stood. She was thinking about the old school and how much fun the children had, (13) learning and spending time together.
In simple words: The paragraph talks about Tommy and Margie finding an old book, which was very different from their telebooks. It describes their reactions to how schools and learning were done in the past, highlighting the differences in technology, teachers, and social interaction.

🎯 Exam Tip: Read the entire paragraph first to understand the flow and context before filling in the blanks. The surrounding words often provide strong clues.

C. Bring Out The Difference Between Your School And Margie's School In The Given Tabular Column. An Example Is Done For You.

Question 1. Bring out the difference between your school and Margie's school.
Answer:

🎯 Exam Tip: When comparing, ensure you list a clear point of difference for each characteristic, making sure both sides of the comparison are consistent.

D. Complete The Following Based On Your Reading.

Question 1. The old book was found by ..........................
Answer: The old book was found by Tommy. He discovered it in his attic, a surprising find in their futuristic world.
In simple words: Tommy found the old book.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always remember the key events and who initiates them in a story to answer direct questions accurately.

Question 2. Margie was surprised to see the old book because ..........................
Answer: Margie was surprised to see the old book because the words stood still instead of moving. She was used to words moving on a screen, so static text on paper was very strange to her.
In simple words: Margie was surprised because the words on the paper book did not move.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the specific details that create surprise or contrast for characters in the narrative.

Question 3. The mechanical teacher was giving Margie ..........................
Answer: The mechanical teacher was giving Margie test after test in geography. She was performing poorly, which made her mother concerned and led to the Country Inspector being called.
In simple words: Margie's mechanical teacher gave her many tests in geography.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to complete a sentence, ensure your answer directly follows and makes logical sense with the preceding text.

Question 4. Margie had to study always at the same time every day, because her mother said little girls ..........................
Answer: Margie had to study always at the same time every day, because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours. This strict schedule was part of their home-schooling system.
In simple words: Margie's mother believed that studying at the same time every day helped girls learn better.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to the reasons behind character actions or rules, as these often explain important plot points.

Question 5. The geography sector in mechanical teacher was ..........................
Answer: The geography sector in the mechanical teacher was geared a little too quickly. This caused Margie to perform poorly in her tests, as the lessons were advancing too fast for her to keep up.
In simple words: The geography part of Margie's teacher was moving too fast.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the specific problem mentioned for the mechanical teacher, as this detail is crucial to understanding Margie's struggles.

Think And Write:

E. On The Basis Of Reading And Using Your Own Ideas, Answer The Following In About 125 - 150 Words Each.

Question 1. Describe Margie's mechanical teacher and her classroom in your own words.
Answer: Margie's mechanical teacher was a large, black, robotic device with a big screen. This screen displayed all the lessons and asked questions. It had a special slot where Margie had to insert her homework and test papers, which she wrote in a punch code. The teacher could be adjusted to suit the level of each student. Her classroom was actually a room right next to her own bedroom in her house. It was not a physical school building like in the old days. Every day, Margie would sit alone in this room, facing her mechanical teacher, learning different subjects based on a set schedule. This setup allowed for personalized learning but lacked the social interaction of traditional schools. She missed the fun of learning with other children.
In simple words: Margie's teacher was a big, black computer screen in her house that taught her lessons and gave tests. Her classroom was just a room at home, not a separate building where other kids gathered.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing, include details about appearance, function, and location for a complete picture, and also mention any related feelings or experiences of the character.

Question 2. Why did Margie hate her school? What was she thinking about at the end of the story?
Answer: Margie hated her school mostly because it was not fun and she was struggling with her lessons. Her mechanical teacher kept giving her geography tests, and she performed worse and worse, which was frustrating. She disliked inserting her homework into the slot and writing in punch code. Also, her school lacked the social aspect, as she studied alone in a room at home. At the end of the story, Margie was thinking about the old schools and how much fun the children must have had. She imagined all the kids from the neighborhood coming together, laughing, and shouting in the schoolyard. She thought about them sitting together in a classroom, learning the same things, and helping each other with homework. The idea of human teachers and collective learning made her realize how dull and lonely her own schooling was, making her wish for the fun they had in the past.
In simple words: Margie hated her school because she found it boring, struggled with tests, and studied alone with a robot teacher. At the end, she thought about how much fun children in old schools must have had learning together.

🎯 Exam Tip: For "why" questions, list all the reasons clearly. For "what was she thinking" questions, summarize her reflections and contrasting ideas presented in the text.

Question 3. What was strange about the 'book'? Why did Margie find it strange?
Answer: The strangest thing about the 'book' was that its words stood still instead of moving. Margie was accustomed to telebooks, where text scrolled on a screen, so seeing static words on paper was a completely new and surprising experience for her. She also found it odd that once a page was read, the words remained the same when she turned back to it, unlike a telebook which could display different content. The pages of the book were yellow and crinkly, adding to its ancient and unusual appearance. Margie found it strange because she had never seen a real book before, having only interacted with digital texts on a computer screen. The concept of a physical object containing fixed stories felt very alien to her, sparking her curiosity about this forgotten method of reading.
In simple words: The book was strange because its words did not move, unlike the screens Margie was used to. She found it odd because she had never seen a physical book with static text before.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the specific differences between the "book" and Margie's familiar "telebooks" to explain her sense of strangeness effectively.