Chapter 1: The Fun They Had

Author: Isaac Asimov

🌟 Summary:

“The Fun They Had”  The story is set in the future, in the year 2157, where children no longer go to school buildings. Instead, they learn from mechanical teachers at home. The protagonist is an 11-year-old girl named Margie, and her friend Tommy, who is 13, in The Fun They Had.

One day, Tommy finds a real book in his attic. This is surprising to both Margie and Tommy because they are used to digital screens. The book is about “schools” from the past, where children went to buildings, were taught by human teachers, and studied together.

Margie is curious and amazed by this idea. She thinks going to school with other children must have been fun. She dislikes her mechanical teacher, especially since it recently gave her poor marks in geography. Her mother even called the County Inspector to fix the machine.

Tommy finds the old school system silly, but Margie secretly wishes she could have experienced it. As she sits down for her mechanical class, she keeps thinking about the old days, imagining the joy and fun of children learning and laughing together.


✏️ Main Themes:

  • Impact of Technology on Education

  • Nostalgia for the Past

  • Curiosity and Imagination of Children

  • Isolation vs. Social Learning


🧑‍🏫 Moral / Message:

The story encourages us to value the human connection in education. While technology is helpful, real learning often comes from interaction, discussion, and shared experiences — something that can be missing in an overly digital world.

अध्याय 1: The Fun They Had (जो मज़ा उन्हें आता था)

लेखक: आइजैक असिमोव


📖 कहानी का सारांश (हिंदी में):

यह कहानी वर्ष 2157 की है, एक ऐसे भविष्य की कल्पना की गई है जहाँ बच्चे अब स्कूल नहीं जाते, बल्कि वे घरों में ही कंप्यूटर जैसे यंत्रों (mechanical teachers) से पढ़ाई करते हैं।

👧 मुख्य पात्र:

  • मार्जी (Margie) – 11 साल की लड़की, जिसे स्कूल जैसा अनुभव कभी नहीं हुआ।

  • टॉमी (Tommy) – 13 साल का लड़का, मार्जी का दोस्त।

एक दिन टॉमी को अपनी अलमारी में एक पुरानी किताब मिलती है, जो कागज़ पर छपी हुई होती है। यह बात दोनों बच्चों के लिए अजीब होती है क्योंकि वे केवल स्क्रीन पर पढ़ाई करने के आदी हैं।

इस किताब में पुराने ज़माने के स्कूलों के बारे में बताया गया है, जहाँ बच्चे एक साथ स्कूल जाते थे, इंसान शिक्षक पढ़ाते थे और वे सब मिलकर पढ़ते-खेलते थे। यह सब सुनकर मार्जी को आश्चर्य होता है, क्योंकि उसका स्कूल तो उसके कमरे में ही होता है और उसका शिक्षक एक मशीन है।

मार्जी को अपनी मशीन-शिक्षक से नफरत है, खासकर इसलिए क्योंकि वह उसे हाल ही में भूगोल (geography) में कम अंक दे रहा था। उसकी माँ ने मशीन को ठीक करवाने के लिए काउंटी इंस्पेक्टर को बुलाया था।

जब टॉमी कहता है कि पुराने ज़माने के स्कूल बेवकूफाना थे, तो मार्जी उससे असहमत होती है। उसे लगता है कि पुराने स्कूलों में बच्चों को एक साथ पढ़ने और खेलने में बहुत मज़ा आता होगा। वह उस अनुभव को महसूस करना चाहती है

जब मार्जी वापस अपनी मशीन-शिक्षा के सामने बैठती है, तो उसका मन पढ़ाई में नहीं लगता। वह उस पुराने स्कूल के बारे में ही सोचती रहती है जहाँ बच्चे हँसते, खेलते और एक-दूसरे के साथ मिलकर सीखते थे।


🎯 मुख्य विचार / संदेश:

  • तकनीक शिक्षा को आसान बना सकती है, लेकिन मानव स्पर्श और सामाजिक जुड़ाव से ही सही शिक्षा होती है।

  • बच्चों के लिए साथ में सीखना, खेलना, बातचीत करना भी बहुत ज़रूरी है।

  • भविष्य चाहे जितना भी तकनीकी हो जाए, इंसानी अनुभव की अहमियत हमेशा बनी रहेगी।

Chapter 1 – The Fun They Had

लेखक – Isaac Asimov
हिंदी अनुवाद – NCERT पाठ्यक्रम पर आधारित


(अनुवाद की शुरुआत)

1. 17 मई, 2157 का दिन था।

2. मार्जी ने अपनी डायरी में लिखा: “आज टॉमी को एक असली किताब मिली!”

3. वह एक बहुत पुरानी किताब थी। पीले और मुड़े हुए पन्नों वाली।

4. पन्नों पर शब्द स्थायी रूप से छपे हुए थे, न कि स्क्रीन पर जो जैसे ही तुम पलटते हो, गायब हो जाते हैं।

5. जब वे पलटते थे तो उसे देखकर अजीब लगता था।

6. “बहुत बोरिंग है,” टॉमी ने कहा। “मैं तो इसे एक बार पढ़ चुका हूँ। अब क्या फायदा? स्क्रीन पर तो हम इसे लाखों बार पढ़ सकते हैं, लेकिन इसमें तो शब्द एक बार पढ़ने के बाद नहीं बदलते।”

7. “खैर,” मार्जी ने कहा, “मुझे तो ये किताब स्कूल के बारे में लगती है।”

8. “स्कूल के बारे में?” टॉमी ने तिरस्कार से कहा। “कौन इस पर समय बर्बाद करेगा?”

9. मार्जी ने कहा, “मेरी माँ कहती हैं, पुराने ज़माने में जब मेरे दादाजी के दादाजी बच्चे थे, तब लोग ऐसे ही किताबों से पढ़ते थे।”

10. टॉमी ने कहा, “और उनके पास एक इंसान शिक्षक होता था जो उन्हें पढ़ाता था!”

11. “क्या सच में?” मार्जी ने कहा। “इंसान शिक्षक! लेकिन वह तो कंप्यूटर जैसा कुछ नहीं होगा।”

12. “बिलकुल नहीं। वो उन्हें बातें समझाता था और सवाल पूछता था। और बच्चे स्कूल जाया करते थे।”

13. “स्कूल जाते थे?” मार्जी हैरान हुई।

14. “हाँ! एक इमारत होती थी जहाँ सभी बच्चे एक साथ पढ़ने जाते थे।”

15. “लेकिन वो सब एक ही उम्र के नहीं होते होंगे ना?”

16. “नहीं। लेकिन फिर भी वे एक ही चीज़ें पढ़ते थे।”

17. “यह तो अजीब है!” मार्जी ने कहा। “अगर मेरा शिक्षक मेरे जैसे बच्चे को न पढ़ा रहा हो तो वह कैसे जान पाएगा कि मुझे क्या और कैसे सिखाना है?”

18. “कंप्यूटर तो तुम्हें ठीक-ठीक वही सिखाता है जो तुम्हारी उम्र और स्तर के लिए जरूरी है।”

19. मार्जी को उसका मैकेनिकल टीचर (मशीनी शिक्षक) पसंद नहीं था। वह बड़ा और काला था, एक स्क्रीन वाला।

20. जब वह पढ़ाता था तो स्क्रीन पर सब कुछ सामने आ जाता था। सवाल, उत्तर और अभ्यास।

21. वह हर चीज़ का परीक्षण करता था और तुरंत अंक दे देता था।

22. लेकिन हाल ही में मार्जी को भूगोल में कम अंक मिल रहे थे, और उसकी माँ ने काउंटी इंस्पेक्टर को बुला लिया।

23. वह एक गोल-मटोल, दयालु-सा आदमी था और उसके पास एक बड़ी लाल बटन वाली छोटी पेटी थी।

24. उसने मशीन को खोला, कुछ पुर्जों की मरम्मत की, और फिर कहा, “समस्या ज्यादा कठिन प्रोग्राम की थी। अब इसे 10 साल के बच्चे के हिसाब से सेट कर दिया गया है।”

25. मार्जी को उम्मीद थी कि उसे कुछ दिनों की छुट्टी मिलेगी, लेकिन ऐसा नहीं हुआ।

26. अगले दिन से फिर वही मशीन वाला स्कूल।

27. अब टॉमी ने किताब बंद कर दी और कहा, “चलो अब स्कूल का वक्त हो गया है।”

28. लेकिन मार्जी ने उससे कहा, “क्या मैं थोड़ी देर और किताब पढ़ सकती हूँ?”

29. टॉमी ने कहा, “ठीक है।”

30. मार्जी ने फिर से किताब के पन्ने खोले, लेकिन उसका मन पुराने स्कूलों के बारे में सोचने में ही लगा रहा।

31. जहाँ बच्चे एक साथ पढ़ते थे, एक ही कमरे में, और एक इंसान शिक्षक उन्हें पढ़ाता था।

32. वे सब मिलकर हँसते थे, सवाल करते थे, खेलते थे।

33. और वो सोचती रही कि जो मज़ा उन्हें आता था, वो कितना अच्छा रहा होगा…


🌟 समाप्त

🟢 I. NCERT Textbook Questions and Answers

Q1. What kind of book did Tommy find?

Ans:
Tommy found a real printed book in the attic. It was very old, with yellow and wrinkled pages. Unlike their electronic books, the words did not move or change on the page.

प्रश्न 1: टॉमी को किताब कहाँ से मिली थी और वह किस बारे में थी?

उत्तर:
टॉमी को किताब उनके घर के अटारी (attic) में मिली थी। वह एक बहुत पुरानी किताब थी और स्कूलों के इतिहास के बारे में थी – यानी पुराने ज़माने में बच्चे कैसे स्कूल जाते थे और इंसान शिक्षक से पढ़ते थे।

Q2. What did Margie write in her diary?

Ans:
Margie wrote in her diary:
“Today Tommy found a real book!”
She was surprised and excited because she had never seen a book like that before.

प्रश्न 2: मार्जी ने अपनी डायरी में क्या लिखा?

उत्तर:
मार्जी ने अपनी डायरी में लिखा – “आज टॉमी को एक असली किताब मिली!”
वह उस समय बहुत हैरान थी क्योंकि वह केवल कंप्यूटर स्क्रीन पर पढ़ने की आदी थी, और असली किताब उसने पहले कभी नहीं देखी थी।

Q3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?

Ans:
No, Margie had never seen a real printed book before. She was used to reading everything on the screen of her mechanical teacher.

Q4. What things about the book did Margie and Tommy find strange?

Ans:
They found it strange that:

  • The words were printed on paper.

  • The pages didn’t glow or move like on a screen.

  • The words stayed the same and didn’t change.

प्रश्न 4: असली किताब को देखकर मार्जी और टॉमी को कैसा लगा?

उत्तर:
असली किताब को देखकर दोनों हैरान थे। किताब के पन्ने पीले और मुड़े हुए थे, और उसमें शब्द स्थायी रूप से छपे हुए थे। उन्हें यह तरीका पुराना और अजीब लगा क्योंकि वे स्क्रीन पर पढ़ने के आदी थे जहाँ शब्द बदल जाते हैं।

Q5. What do you think a telebook is?

Ans:
A telebook is a digital or electronic book that appears on a screen. It is read on a computer-like device, and the content can change or scroll as needed.

Q6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?

Ans:
Margie’s school was in her home, right next to her bedroom. She had no classmates, and she studied alone with the help of a mechanical teacher.


Q7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?

Ans:
Margie and Tommy learned subjects like Geography, History, and Arithmetic through their mechanical teachers.


🔵 II. Short Answer Type Questions (30–40 words)

Q1. Why did Margie hate school?

Ans:
Margie hated school because she had to sit alone in a room and learn from a machine. She found it boring and difficult, especially when the machine started giving her low marks in Geography.


Q2. What did the County Inspector do to help Margie?

Ans:
The County Inspector opened Margie’s mechanical teacher, checked it, and reset the Geography sector to a lower level suitable for her age. He explained that the machine’s settings were too advanced for her.


Q3. What was Tommy’s opinion about old schools?

Ans:
Tommy found old schools stupid. He thought it was funny that teachers were humans and that all students learned the same thing regardless of their levels.


Q4. Why was Margie curious about the old schools?

Ans:
Margie was curious because the idea of children studying together in a building and being taught by a human teacher was new and exciting to her. She felt that they must have had a lot more fun than she did.


🟠 III. Long Answer Type Questions (80–100 words)

Q1. Compare the old school with the future school described in the story.

Ans:
The old schools were buildings where children came together to learn. They had human teachers, used real books, and students interacted and learned socially. In contrast, the future schools in the story are individualized and isolated. Each child studies at home with a mechanical teacher that teaches through a screen. There’s no interaction with other children, making the learning process lonely and mechanical. The story highlights how future schools might lose the joy and fun of learning together.


Q2. Why did Margie think that the old kind of school must have been fun?

Ans:
Margie thought old schools were fun because children learned and played together. They sat in classrooms, had human teachers who talked to them and explained things in person. There was laughter, interaction, and shared experiences, unlike her boring, isolated lessons with a machine. The idea of social learning appealed to her imagination, and she longed to experience it herself.


🟡 IV. Extra Practice Questions (with Answers)

Q1. What did Margie and Tommy think about printed books?

Ans:
They found printed books strange and funny. The idea that words didn’t move and stayed on the page seemed useless to them. They were used to reading on screens where the text could be changed or updated.


Q2. How was Margie’s mechanical teacher different from real teachers?

Ans:
Margie’s mechanical teacher was a robot-like machine that taught through a screen and gave tests instantly. Real teachers, as described in the book Tommy found, were humans who taught with emotions, answered questions patiently, and interacted with students directly.


Q3. What does the title “The Fun They Had” suggest?

Ans:
The title refers to the fun and joy children had in the past when they went to traditional schools. Margie imagines how much better and more exciting that must have been compared to her boring and lonely computerized education.

Q6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?

Ans:
Margie’s school was in her home, right next to her bedroom. She had no classmates, and she studied alone with the help of a mechanical teacher.


Q7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?

Ans:
Margie and Tommy learned subjects like Geography, History, and Arithmetic through their mechanical teachers.


🔵 II. Short Answer Type Questions (30–40 words)

Q1. Why did Margie hate school?

Ans:
Margie hated school because she had to sit alone in a room and learn from a machine. She found it boring and difficult, especially when the machine started giving her low marks in Geography.


Q2. What did the County Inspector do to help Margie?

Ans:
The County Inspector opened Margie’s mechanical teacher, checked it, and reset the Geography sector to a lower level suitable for her age. He explained that the machine’s settings were too advanced for her.


Q3. What was Tommy’s opinion about old schools?

Ans:
Tommy found old schools stupid. He thought it was funny that teachers were humans and that all students learned the same thing regardless of their levels.


Q4. Why was Margie curious about the old schools?

Ans:
Margie was curious because the idea of children studying together in a building and being taught by a human teacher was new and exciting to her. She felt that they must have had a lot more fun than she did.


🟠 III. Long Answer Type Questions (80–100 words)

Q1. Compare the old school with the future school described in the story.

Ans:
The old schools were buildings where children came together to learn. They had human teachers, used real books, and students interacted and learned socially. In contrast, the future schools in the story are individualized and isolated. Each child studies at home with a mechanical teacher that teaches through a screen. There’s no interaction with other children, making the learning process lonely and mechanical. The story highlights how future schools might lose the joy and fun of learning together.


Q2. Why did Margie think that the old kind of school must have been fun?

Ans:
Margie thought old schools were fun because children learned and played together. They sat in classrooms, had human teachers who talked to them and explained things in person. There was laughter, interaction, and shared experiences, unlike her boring, isolated lessons with a machine. The idea of social learning appealed to her imagination, and she longed to experience it herself.


🟡 IV. Extra Practice Questions (with Answers)

Q1. What did Margie and Tommy think about printed books?

Ans:
They found printed books strange and funny. The idea that words didn’t move and stayed on the page seemed useless to them. They were used to reading on screens where the text could be changed or updated.


Q2. How was Margie’s mechanical teacher different from real teachers?

Ans:
Margie’s mechanical teacher was a robot-like machine that taught through a screen and gave tests instantly. Real teachers, as described in the book Tommy found, were humans who taught with emotions, answered questions patiently, and interacted with students directly.


Q3. What does the title “The Fun They Had” suggest?

Ans:
The title refers to the fun and joy children had in the past when they went to traditional schools. Margie imagines how much better and more exciting that must have been compared to her boring and lonely computerized education.

🟡 Thinking About Language (Page 10–11)

Chapter 1 – The Fun They Had


I. Adjective Forms

Question:
Find the sentences in the lesson which have the following phrases. Then, write down the full sentences.

  1. took the teacher apart

  2. had been inserted

  3. geared to the average

  4. slowed down

  5. calculated the marks


Answers:

  1. Took the teacher apart:

“They had once taken Tommy’s teacher apart because the history sector had blanked out completely.”

  1. Had been inserted:

“And the teacher had been adjusted to fit Margie’s mind. It was not the little girl’s fault she hadn’t learned properly.”
(Note: Original reference to the insert slot – earlier in the story:
“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.”)

  1. Geared to the average:

“It’s geared to the average ten-year-old level.”

  1. Slowed down:

“The inspector had slowed it up to an average ten-year level.”

  1. Calculated the marks:

“The mechanical teacher calculated the marks in no time.”


II. Use of Passive Voice (Grammar Practice)

Instructions:
Passives are used in the story. Look at the following sentences from the story:

  • They had once taken Tommy’s teacher apart.

  • The part must be replaced.

  • The teacher was taken away.

Now, write five sentences with passive verbs.


Examples of Passive Voice Sentences:

  1. The book was found in the attic.

  2. The machine was repaired by the County Inspector.

  3. Homework was submitted every day.

  4. Marks were calculated instantly.

  5. Lessons were given on the screen.


III. Use of Nouns as Adjectives

Explanation:
In English, sometimes nouns are used like adjectives to describe another noun.
For example: “schoolroom” – a room used for school.
Here, “school” (a noun) is used like an adjective.


Examples from the story:

Noun used as AdjectiveFinal NounCombined Word
schoolroomschoolroom
punchcodepunch code
televisionscreentelevision screen
atticroomattic room
geographysectorgeography sector
CountyInspectorCounty Inspector

You can try forming more such combinations by using this pattern:
[Noun 1] + [Noun 2] = Descriptive Compound Noun

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