The Fun They Had (1.1)

In groups of four discuss the following topic.

"The Schools of the Future Will Have No Books and No Teachers!"

Your group can decide to speak for or against the motion. After this, each group will select a speaker to present its views to the entire class.

If Not and Unless

”¢ Imagine that Margie's mother told her, “You'll feel awful if you don't finish your history lesson.”

”¢ She could also say: “You'll feel awful unless you finish your history lesson.”

Unless means if not. Sentence with unless or if not are negative conditional sentences.

Notice that these sentences have two parts. The part that begins with if not or unless tells us the condition. The part has a verb in the present tense (look at the verbs don't finish, finish in the sentences above.)

The other part of the sentence tells us about a possible result. It tells us what will happen (if something doesn't happen). The verb in this part of the sentence is in the future tense (you'll feel/ you will feel).

Notice these two tenses in the following examples.

A new revised volume of Isaac Asimov's short stories has just been released. Order one set. Write a letter to the publisher, Mindfame Private Limited, 1632 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi, requesting that a set be sent to you by Value Payable Post (VPP), and giving your address. Your letter will have the following parts.

• Addresses of the sender and receiver

• The salutation

• The body of the letter

• The closing phrases and signature

1. Find the sentences in the lesson which have the adverbs given in the box below.

awfully	sorrowfully	completely	loftily
carefully	differently	quickly	nonchalantly

2. Now use these adverbs to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.

(i) The report must be read __________ so that performance can be improved.

(ii) At the interview, Sameer answered our questions __________ shrugging his shoulders.

(iii) We all behave __________ when we are tired or hungry.

(iv) The teacher shook her head __________ when Ravi lied to her.

(v) I __________ forgot about it.

(vi) When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled __________ and turned away.

(vii) The President of the Company is __________busy and will not be able to meet you.

(viii) I finished my work __________ so that I could go out to play.

3. Make adverbs from these adjectives.

(i)	angry	__________	(ii)	happy	__________
(iii)	merry	__________

Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100 - 150 words)

1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?

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

3. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

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

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

3. What did he do?

4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the Country Inspector do to help her?

5. What had once happened to Tommy's teacher?

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

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

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

Answer the following with reference to the story.

1. "I wouldn't throw it away."

(i) Who says these words?

(ii) What does 'it' refer to?

(iii) What is it being compared with by the speaker?

2. "Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn't a regular teacher. It was a man."

(i) Who does 'they' refer to?

(ii) What does 'regular' mean here?

(iii) What is it contrasted with?

(Activity) Calculate how many years and months ahead from now Margie's diary entry is.

Have you ever read words on the television (or computer) screen? Can you imagine a time when all books will be on computers, and there will be no books printed on paper? Would you like such books better?

 In pairs, discuss three things that you like the best about your school and three things about your school that you would like to change. Write them down.

The story we shall read is set in the future, when books and schools as we now know them will perhaps not exist. How will children study then? The diagram below may give you some ideas.