a) A traditional school with human teachers
b) A futuristic home with a mechanical teacher
c) A library with ancient books
d) A playground where children learn together
Answer: b) A futuristic home with a mechanical teacher
Explanation: The story is set in 2157, where Margie and Tommy learn at home through mechanical teachers, not in traditional classrooms.
1. Why does Margie find the old book fascinating?
a) It contains advanced scientific theories
b) It describes schools where children learned together
c) It is written in a secret code
d) It teaches how to operate mechanical teachers
Answer: b) It describes schools where children learned together
Explanation: Margie is intrigued by the book because it describes traditional schools with human teachers and group learning, which contrasts with her isolated education.
3. What does Margie dislike about her mechanical teacher?
a) It gives her too many breaks
b) It is too slow and outdated
c) It gives frequent tests and lacks human interaction
d) It teaches irrelevant subjects
Answer: c) It gives frequent tests and lacks human interaction
Explanation: Margie is frustrated by the mechanical teacher’s constant testing and its impersonal, rigid teaching style.
4. What does Tommy say about human teachers in the past?
a) They were less knowledgeable than mechanical teachers
b) They taught children in a school building together
c) They used computers to teach all subjects
d) They only taught one student at a time
Answer: b) They taught children in a school building together
Explanation: Tommy explains that human teachers taught groups of children in physical schools, which Margie finds appealing.
5. What is the main theme of the story?
a) The dangers of advanced technology
b) The value of social interaction in education
c) The importance of reading old books
d) The need for faster learning methods
Answer: b) The value of social interaction in education
Explanation: The story contrasts Margie’s isolated learning with the social, collaborative environment of past schools, highlighting the human need for connection in education.
6. How does Margie feel about the idea of traditional schools?
a) She thinks they sound boring
b) She believes they were less effective
c) She imagines they were fun and exciting
d) She is indifferent to them
Answer: c) She imagines they were fun and exciting
Explanation: Margie envies the social aspect of traditional schools, thinking they must have been more enjoyable than her solitary lessons.
7.What year is the story set in?
a) 2057
b) 2157
c) 2257
d) 1957
Answer: b) 2157
Explanation: The story explicitly mentions the year 2157 as the time when Margie and Tommy live.
8. What does the mechanical teacher do when Margie performs poorly?
a) It shuts down permanently
b) It adjusts lessons and gives more tests
c) It calls a human teacher for help
d) It rewards her with easier tasks
Answer: b) It adjusts lessons and gives more tests
Explanation: The mechanical teacher recalibrates to Margie’s performance, assigning more tests when she struggles, as seen with her geography lessons.
9. What is Margie’s reaction when she learns about the old book Tommy found?
a) She is uninterested and wants to play instead
b) She is curious and wants to read it immediately
c) She is scared because it’s forbidden.
d) She thinks it’s useless and outdated
Answer: b) She is curious and wants to read it immediately
Explanation: Margie is intrigued by the old book about traditional schools, showing excitement and curiosity about a different way of learning.
10. What subject does Margie struggle with in her lessons?
a) History
b) Mathematics
c) Geography
d) Literature
Answer: c) Geography
Explanation: The story mentions Margie’s difficulties with geography, as the mechanical teacher gives her frequent tests in this subject.
11. Why does Margie’s mother call the County Inspector?
a) The mechanical teacher is too easy for Margie
b) The mechanical teacher is malfunctioning
c) Margie refuses to study
d) The book Tommy found is illegal
Answer: b) The mechanical teacher is malfunctioning
Explanation: Margie’s mother calls the County Inspector because the mechanical teacher’s geography sector is out of sync, making lessons too challenging.
12.What does the County Inspector do to fix Margie’s mechanical teacher?
a) Replaces it with a new model
b) Adjusts its settings to match Margie’s level
c) Shuts it down permanently
d) Teaches Margie himself
Answer: b) Adjusts its settings to match Margie’s level
Explanation: The Inspector recalibrates the mechanical teacher to better suit Margie’s learning pace, fixing the issue with the geography lessons.
13. What does Margie imagine about children in traditional schools?
a) They studied alone at home like her
b) They had fun learning together and playing
c) They used mechanical teachers in classrooms
d) They only studied one subject at a time
Answer: b) They had fun learning together and playing
Explanation: Margie daydreams about children in old schools laughing, playing, and learning together, which she finds appealing compared to her solitary education.
14. What is Tommy’s attitude toward the old book?
a) He finds it boring and wants to throw it away
b) He is as excited as Margie about its contents
c) He thinks it’s interesting but not as good as modern methods
d) He is afraid it will get them in trouble
Answer: c) He thinks it’s interesting but not as good as modern methods
Explanation: Tommy finds the book intriguing but believes their futuristic education system is superior, showing less enthusiasm than Margie.
15. What does the story suggest about technology’s impact on education?
a) It makes learning more fun and interactive
b) It isolates students and reduces human connection
c) It eliminates the need for any learning
d) It ensures all students learn at the same pace
Answer: b) It isolates students and reduces human connection
Explanation: The story critiques the futuristic education system by showing Margie’s loneliness and longing for the social interaction of traditional schools.
16. How does Margie feel at the end of the story?
a) Excited to continue with her mechanical teacher
b) Sad and wistful about the old schools
c) Angry at Tommy for showing her the book
d) Confused about how traditional schools worked
Answer: b) Sad and wistful about the old schools
17. Where did Tommy find the old book about schools?
a) In a library archive
b) In his attic
c) At a futuristic museum
d) In Margie’s house
Answer: b) In his attic
Explanation: Tommy mentions finding the old book in his attic, which sparks his and Margie’s curiosity about traditional schools.
18. What does Margie write in her diary at the start of the story?
a) Her excitement about her mechanical teacher
b) The date she and Tommy found the book
c) Her complaints about her lessons
d) Her dream to become a teacher
Answer: b) The date she and Tommy found the book
Explanation: The story opens with Margie’s diary entry noting the day Tommy found the book, May 17, 2157.
19. Why does Margie think traditional schools were better?
a) They had better technology
b) Children could learn at their own pace
c) Students could interact and have fun together
d) They had shorter school hours
Answer: c) Students could interact and have fun together
Explanation: Margie is drawn to the idea of children learning and playing together in traditional schools, unlike her isolated experience.
20. What is one key difference between Margie’s education and traditional schools?
a) Margie’s education is entirely outdoors
b) Traditional schools used mechanical teachers
c) Margie learns alone at home with a machine
d) Traditional schools had no books
Answer: c) Margie learns alone at home with a machine
Explanation: Margie’s education is solitary, delivered by a mechanical teacher at home, while traditional schools involved group learning with human teachers.
21. What does the mechanical teacher’s screen display?
a) Games and puzzles for fun
b) Lessons and tests tailored to Margie
c) Videos of human teachers
d) Stories about the past
Answer: b) Lessons and tests tailored to Margie
Explanation: The mechanical teacher provides personalized lessons and tests on its screen, adjusted to Margie’s learning level.
22. How does Margie’s mother view the mechanical teacher?
a) She thinks it’s too old-fashioned
b) She believes it’s essential for proper education
c) She wants to replace it with a human teacher
d) She is indifferent to its use
Answer: b) She believes it’s essential for proper education
Explanation: Margie’s mother values the mechanical teacher, ensuring it’s fixed when it malfunctions to maintain Margie’s education.
23. What does the story imply about the role of human interaction in learning?
a) It is unnecessary for effective education
b) It makes learning less efficient
c) It enhances enjoyment and engagement
d) It slows down technological progress
Answer: c) It enhances enjoyment and engagement
Explanation: Margie’s longing for the social environment of traditional schools suggests human interaction makes learning more enjoyable.
24. What is Margie doing at the end of the story?
a) Reading the old book with Tommy
b) Taking a test on her mechanical teacher
c) Daydreaming about traditional schools
d) Writing another diary entry
Answer: c) Daydreaming about traditional schools
Explanation: The story closes with Margie in her schoolroom, thinking about the fun children had in old schools while her mechanical teacher continues.