THE FUN THEY HAD (BEEHIVE).pdf

THIS IS WELL EXPLAINED.

1. INDIAN SCHOOL DARSAIT
ENGLISH
CLASS -IX

5. Pre-reading Task
Read these questions and share your responses with your friends:
At what time do you go to
your school? Do you like
going to school? Why, or Why
not?
What would happen if your
teachers were replaced by
computers?
How long does it take you to
reach your school? Do you
enjoy the journey?
Do you like
vacation? Why?
What would you prefer:
studying at home or going
to school?
How many hours do you
work on a computer in your
school? Would you like to
work longer?

6. IsaacAsimov(1920–92)wasa
prolificRussian-bornAmericanwriterwell-
knownforhissciencefiction.Hehadthe
cannyknackoftransporting youngreader’s
imaginationtothefutureworlddominatedby
computersandrobots.
Itisaworldoffunandfantasy,butthe
frighteningspectacleoftotallymechanical
existenceleadstomeaningfulintrospection
too.
Asimov’spopularworksincludeNightfall,Foundation, Second
Foundation,
TheCavesofSteelandTheEndofEternity.
Hewasknown forhisworksofSciencefictionandPopular
science.Asimovwasaprolificwriterwhowroteoreditedmore
than500booksandanestimated90,000lettersandpostcards.

7. INTRODUCTION
Thestory‘TheFuntheyhad’issetinfuturewhenbooksand
schools,aswehavetodayperhapswillnotexist.Twostudentsof
theperiodwhichisaboutahundredandfiftyyearsfromtoday,
findaprintedbook.Surprisedastheyare,theytalkaboutthe
schoolsandbooksoftheoldentimes.Theycomparethoseschools
withthatoftheirownwhichareusuallylocatedinsidetheir
homes.Theyhavemechanicalteacherstoteachthem.Naturally,
theyfindtheirownschoolsdullandboring.Theythinkthatit
wouldhavebeenagreatfuntostudyintheschoolsofoldentimes
whenallthestudentswenttoaparticularplacetolearn.They
seemtobeexcitedbythefactthatstudentsofaparticularage
groupusedtolearnthesamethingandweretaughtbyahuman
teacher.

8. Setting
Thestoryissetinthefuturei.ein2157whenbooks
andschoolsasweknowthemwillperhapsnotexist.
Thepictureshownwillgiveyouanidea.

9. THEME
Thethemeofthestory“TheFunTheyHad”is
transformation bytechnology.Thewholestoryfocuses
ontwoeras:OneisDigitalErainwhichTommyand
MargieliveandtheotheristheNormalEra,about
whichtheylearnedthroughtheirgrandparent’s diary.
‘TheFunTheyhad’buildsacomparison between the
methodofeducationusedinthepastandthepresent.
Theimportanceofthetraditionalformofeducationhas
beenhighlightedinthestory.Thecomputerized formof
educationhadreplacedthetraditionalform.

11. VOCABULARY
•crinkly : something full of creases or
wrinkles
•attic : a space or room inside or partly
inside
the roof of a building
•scornful : showing displeasure
•superior: an overly high opinion of oneself
•loftily : an arrogant or haughty manner
•dispute : an argument
•nonchalantly : a casually calm and relaxed
manner

12. SUMMARY
Itistheyear2157.Margiemakesadiaryentrywhichrevealsthat
Tommyhascomeacrossabookprintedonpaper.Thepagesofthe
bookhaveturnedyellowandwrinkledwhichprovesthatit
existedcenturiesago.Thebookispeculiarinthesensethatithad
thesamewordsonitthatithadwhentheyreaditthefirsttime.
Theywerenotmovinglikethatonacomputer/television screen.
Tommycallsitwastebecauseoncethebookisreaditisofnouse.
Theirtelevisionscreenhashadamillionbooksonitandone
cannotthrowitaway.Margieisofthesameopinionbutsheis
curioustoknowwhatthebookisabout.Tommytellsherthatitis
aboutschool.Shehatedschool,butnowshehateditmorethan
everbecausehermechanical teacherhadbeengivinghertest
aftertestingeographyandshehadbeendoingworseandworse.
HermothersendsfortheCountyInspectorwhoisaroundlittle
man.

13. Hetakesthetelevisionteacherapartandsetsit
rightwithinanhourwhichonlyincreasesMargie’s
disappointment.Hetellshermotherthatitwasnot
Margie’sfaultbutthegeography sectorofthe
mechanical teacherwasgearedalittletooquick
andhehasslowedthattoanaverageten-year
level.HeassuresMargieandhermotherthatthere
willbenoproblemhenceforth.
Margieiscurioustoknowabouttheschoolthat
existedinthepast.Tommytellsherthatitisnot
theirkindofschool.Thatistheoldkindofschool
thattheyhadcenturiesago.Thestudentshada
humanteacherwhotaughtthemandgavethem
homework andalsoaskedthemquestions.Margie
arguesthatamancannotbesmartenough.

14. Tommy further tells her that the teachers didn’t live in
the house. They had a special building and all the kids
went there. The kids of the same age learned the same
thing. Now it is Margie’s school time. She goes into the
schoolroom which is right next to her bedroom and the
mechanical teacher is on and waiting for her. She puts
her homework in the slot with a sigh .
She is still 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.
Those schools were far better than the schools of
today because they offered great fun to the students.

15. CONCLUSION
‘TheFunTheyHad’throwslightonaninterestingaspect
ofthetechnological worldwewillhaveinthefuture.
Consequently, itissetinthefuturewheretwochildren
discussthewaythingsfunctionedintheearlierdays.
Further,theytalkaboutthe‘books’whichcompriseof
paperinsteadofthetelebookstheyhavenow.Itisrather
interestingtoreadabouttheconversation betweenthe
littlekids.Theygetfascinatedbytheconceptof‘school’
whichprevailedinthedaysoftheirgrandparents .
Moreover, theyalsotalkabouthowthosedayswere
muchmorefun.‘TheFunTheyHad’doesshowusthe
realityoftechnologytakingoverinthenearfuture.