THE FUN THEY HAD (9th BEEHIVE)

GOODWILL EDUCATION

BEST FACULTY-BEST QUALITY

THE FUN THEY HAD (SUMMARY ANALYSIS)

• Tommy finds a "real book" that had been "printed on paper"
• According to Margie's grandfather's grandfather all stories were printed on paper
• Tommy thought it was a waste to have a book printed on paper and he also thought that it was to be thrown away when it was finished being read
• Tommy thought tv screens were better
• The "real book" was found in Tommy's attic and was about school
• Margie hated school and didn't understand why someone would write about school
• Margie was having problems with learning geography from her "mechanical teacher" so the "mechanical teacher" was rebuilt by the county inspector who was nice
• Margie hated doing her homework which had to be written in punch code and turning it into slot in the "mechanical teacher" 
• The "mechanical teacher" graded her home work in "no time"
• The county inspector said the "geography sector" was too fast and that her progress was actually quite "satisfactory"
• Margie had hoped that he "mechanical teacher" would be taken away like Tommy's was because its "history sector" went blank
• Margie asked tommy why anyone would write about school and Tommy said with "superior eyes" that it was a school from "centuries" ago
• Margie was surprised to hear that back in the olden days a "man" would be the teacher
• Margie was surprised to hear Tommy say that his father knew more than his "teacher" which Margie thought was impossible
• Margie said that she wouldn't want a stranger teaching her in her house
• Tommy said that teachers didn't live in a house and that kids went to a "special building" to learn the same thing if they were the same age
• Margie said that her mother said that each "teacher" had to be fitted to each child's mind
• Tommy said that Margie didn't have to read the book if she didn't want to
• Margie wanted to read the old book and what it had to say about "those funny schools"
• When Margie's "Mamma" told he that it was both time for Tommy and Margie to go to school, Margie asked if she could read the book with him after school and Tommy said that may be she could
• The "schoolroom" was next to Margie's bedroom and except for Saturday and Sunday was on at the same time every day
• Margie's "Mamma" said "little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours"
• The "teacher" asked for Margie's homework and she worked on fractions
• Margie thought about the olden days of schooling where everyone started and ended school together, talked about homework together and played together
• Margie thought about a time when teachers were people
• Margie thought that the kids loved being in the "old days" and how they must have had fun
•  

SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?

Answer: Margie and Tommy have virtual teacher. It is computer fitted with latest gizmos. The computer is programmed to give lessons depending on a child’s age group and previous learning history. The content are highly interactive and children learn from the mechanical teacher. The child needs to submit test papers regularly to the computer and he gets instant feedback in the form of the test result.

2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?

Answer: Margie was not performing up to the mark in her Geography tests. So her mother was worried. She wanted the County Inspector to check if there was some problem with the child or with the virtual teacher.

3. What did he do?

Answer: He found that the computer’s programme was not working properly and was giving lessons, which was of higher level than what Margie’s age required. He rectified the problem and it started giving lessons suitable for Margie’s age group.

4. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?

Answer: Tommy’s teacher developed some snag and its History section was blanked out. So it was taken away for a month for repair.

7. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?

Answer: Margie did not have regular days and hours unlike conventional schools. The benefit of virtual classroom is it can be accessed as per your convenience. No more early morning rush for school. You can sleep as late as you wish and can compensate for your study during day time as you wish.

7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?

Answer: Tommy said that centuries ago there used to be different kinds of school. There a human teacher used to give same lesson to all boys and girls of same age group. Students had to go to that school to study.

8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?

Answer: Old kind of teachers was human being. It is surprising how a human being can be smart enough to teach a particular topic.

II. Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100 –150 words).

Q1.  Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?

Answer: Her school was always open, seven days in a week. Margie’s teacher was always on at the same time except weekends, because her mother believed that regular study hours result in better learning.

She had no classmates to interact and play with. She thought that old school must have been fun, because, you got the opportunity to play and make fun, with your classmates. It must have been a pleasant experience to study from a human instead of impersonal machine.

Weathering the storm in Ersamma (9th English)

                                     Weathering the Storm in Ersama

1.        How did Prashant escape the fate of his village people during the rain?

Ans. Prashant was at his friend’s house when the storm struck Orissa. Prashant had to spend two nights on the open rooftop in the rain due to the flood. He survived by eating the coconuts from a tree that had fallen on the roof. However, his village people had to face the fury of the storm. They lost their houses and had to take shelter at the Red Cross shelter.

2.        What shocked Prashant? Why?

           Or

What did Prashant see around him after the rain? How did he feel then?

Ans. After the rain, Prashant saw a raging, deadly, brown sheet of water everywhere around him. A few fractured cement houses were the only things visible. Bloated animal carcasses and human corpses floated in the water. The trees including the huge ones had fallen down. Prashant felt worried about his family.

3.        What was ‘the miracle’ and how?

Ans. On his way back to his village, Prashant saw the havoc caused by the rain and the flood. He saw the villages swept away by the flood and the carcasses and corpses floating in the water. He had to wade through the water. He could see no house in any of the villages. It disappointed and despaired him. He started crying loudly.

4.        What was ‘the miracle’ and how?

Ans. Prashant’s family had been worried about him. When he did not return for days, they thought they had lost him. But when Prashant’s family found him alove at the Red Cross shelter, they were extremely happy. They took it to be ‘a miracle’ because it wasn’t easy to survive the rains and the flood.

5.        What did Prashant sense wrong with the people at the shelter? How did he solve the problem?

Ans. Prashant could sense the feeling of a deathly grief settling fast upon the people in the shelter. They mourned for the people who died due to the flood and the property they lost. They also had nothing to eat. Prashant formed teams to resolve these problems. He also organized matches to lift their spirits.

6.        How did Prashant communicate to the government that they were hungry?

Ans. There was acute shortage of food at the shelter. The children were hungry. The helicopters once dropped some food parcels but then did not come again. Prashant made the children lie on the ground with empty utensils on their stomachs. It very successfully conveyed the message to the authorities that they were hungry. Due to his efforts, the helicopters started dropping food regularly.

7.        How did Prashant infuse the people with the new life?

Ans. Prashant could not only the physical but the emotional and the psychological needs also. He made a separate shelter for the orphans. He encouraged women to look after the children. He further encouraged them to come out of the stigma. He organized some amusement activities to lighten up their lives. With his leadership quality, he managed to infuse a new life in them.

8.        What did the Government do to improve life in Orissa? Why did Prashant resist the plan?

Ans. To improve the life in Orissa, the Government also decided to set up institutions for orphans and the women. Prashant resisted the plan as he felt these institutions would increase the stigma and loneliness in widows. Instead, he encouraged the foster families.

9.        What havoc had the super cyclone wreaked in the life of the people of Orissa?

Ans. The super cyclone completely devastated the coastal Orissa. It was followed by heavy rains and floods. Together they gutted hundreds of houses, killing thousands.

10.    How has Prashant, a teenager been able to help the people of his village?

Ans. He formed a group of youth and elders and together they helped themselves in arranging the food and cleaning the shelter and tending the injured ones.

11.    How had the people of the community helped one another? What role did the women of Kalikuda play during those days?

Ans. The young people under Prashant’s command cleaned the shelter and tended to the injured. The elders helped them in arranging for food and other things. Merchants gave food. Women of Kalikudu looked after the orphans.

12.    Why do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows? What alternatives do they consider?

Ans. They feel that in such institutions women suffer from stigma and loneliness and children would grow up without love. So they consider the alternative of ‘setting foster families’.

13.    Do you consider Prashant to be a good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural calamities?

Ans. Yes, Prashant definitely is a good leader. He organized people and raised their morale. He could get the ration dropped for them, encouraged windows to look after the orphans and to tend the indired. He also pleaded with the elders to become foster parents. Yes, young people can help people together during natural calamities.

14.    What hit Orissa on 27th October, 1999?

                       Or

What happened when Prashant had gone to visit his friend in Ersama?

Ans. On that day, a super cyclone with a speed of 350 km per hour hit the coastal areas of Orissa. It was followed by continuous heavy rains for two days. Raging ocean waves flooded Orissa.

15.    How did Prashant contribute to improve the condition of the shelter?

Ans. He formed a team of volunteers to clean the shelter of all the fifth, urine, vomiting, and carcasses etc. he uplifted the spirits of the inhabitants emotionally, physically and psychologically.

16.   How did Prashant help the children affected by the cyclone and flood?

Ans. He set up a polythene shelter for orphans, helped them resettle in their own societies through adoptions and foster families. He organized matches etc to help them recover.

17.    How did Prashant help the women affected by the devastating cyclone?

Ans. He helped them by providing food and other basic needs. He made them work for NGOs and to look after orphans. He helped them set up foster families. He helped them emotionally and psychologically.