NCERT Solutions For Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 1 The Fun They Had (2025-26)

Thinking About Text

I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.

1. How old are Margie and Tommy?

Ans: Tommy is thirteen-year-old, and Margie is eleven-year-old.

2. What did Margie write in her diary?

Ans: Marie wrote in her diary that Tommy found a real book today.

3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?

Ans:  No, Margie used to study from a telebook and had never seen a real book before.

4. What things about the book did she find strange?

Ans: Margie had never seen a real book before. She found it strange seeing words printed on a book and the pages remained the same as the first time they were read, different from the screens they read from.

5. What do you think a telebook is?

Ans: Pages of a book in a digital form are called a telebook.

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

Ans: Margie studied in her home, next to her bedroom. No, she didn't have any company while studying.

7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn? 

Ans: Tommy and Margie studied history, geography, and arithmetic.

II. Answer the following with reference to the story.

1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”

(i) Who says these words?

Ans: Tommy said these words.

(ii) What does ‘it’ refer to?

Ans:  It refers to the television screen.

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

Ans: Tommy is comparing his digital class with the book he found.

2. “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”

(i) Who does ‘they’ refer to?

Ans: They refer to the kids who studied in the old times and used to go to school to study.

(ii) What does ‘regular’ mean here?

Ans: For Margie and Tommy, regular meant their digital classroom where mechanical teachers taught them.

(iii) What is it contrasted with?

Ans: The human teachers of the old-time are compared with the mechanical teachers Margie and Tommy had.

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

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

Ans: Margie and Tommy were assigned mechanical teachers and their classroom had a large black screen on which lessons were displayed and questions were asked. The mechanical teachers were black and ugly and appeared every day at the same time, except for Saturday and Sunday. They also had slots for students to insert their homework into so that they could be assessed.

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

Ans: Margie didn't perform well in her previous geography tests. She started getting worse in them over time and eventually her mother had to send for the County Inspector to get the mechanical teacher checked.

3. What did he do?

Ans:  When the County Inspector visited, he gave Margie an apple and started examining the mechanical teacher. Margie hated her mechanical teacher and hoped that the Inspector would either take it away or won't know how to fix it. But he did and he slowed down the teacher for an average ten-year-old.

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

Ans: Margie’s mechanical teacher was geared up, a little too quick in the geography section. This resulted in her scoring badly, which wasn't acceptable to her mother. When the County Inspector visited her slowed down the mechanical teacher to an average ten-year level. He also informed Mrs. Jones that her daughter’s progress was satisfactory.

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

Ans: Tommy’s teacher once blanked out completely.

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

Ans: Margie had a regular schedule for school. Her mother believed that young kids learn better when they learn at regular intervals and hence, she had a schedule. She had an off on Saturday and Sunday. Except that her mechanical teacher appeared regularly, at the same time.

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

Ans: Tommy described the old school as a special, old building where kids gathered and studied together. There were hundreds of students that visited that building every day and learned and played together.

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

Ans: Tommy told Margie that in earlier times kids used to visit a special building to study and were taught by men. They were taught in groups and were given homework and tests that were checked by these men.

IV. 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?

Ans:  Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers to assist them with their studies. They were taught digitally in rooms next to their bedrooms. The room had a black display screen to display telebooks and the mechanical had slots to provide them with tests and homework which was inserted back into the slot after it was finished. They studied history, arithmetic, and geography. Her classes were held at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday. Her mom believed that young kids learned better when they had their lessons at regular intervals. This routine was very boring and monotonous for the kids. When they found the textbook, they were fascinated to know the way kids in earlier times studied. 

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

Ans: Maggie was taught by a mechanical teacher every day. She didn't like the idea of school because it was boring and monotonous. Recently in her tests, she was going bad in geography and her mother wasn't satisfied with the results. She wanted the County Inspector to take the mechanical teacher away since it was a nuisance for her at this point. She hated inserting homework and test papers into the mechanical teacher. She felt that the old school was more fun and all the kids from the same neighborhood studying together would be so fun. She imagined that all the kids would sit together and laugh. Since the teachers would be humans, it would be fun and interactive.

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

Ans: Yes, I agree with Margie that the schools today are more fun, compared with the ones from the future. The present schooling system provides a more interactive atmosphere to the student and helps in the overall development of the child. Answering questions and having fun in the class helps the children to break away from the monotonous routine at home. It also helps kids be more empathic and develop emotional intelligence. Kids go to school, interact with each other, and make friends making their life more whole and complete. It makes studies more fun and easier and is a healthier way of learning. The sports period in schools helps kids to maintain physical health and teaches them teamwork and leadership skills. Overall going to school makes growing up and the learning process way more fun and interactive compared to studying at home.

Thinking about Language

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

Awfully, sorrowfully, completely, loftily, carefully, differently, quickly, nonchalantly 

Ans: They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to − on a screen, you know.

The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent it to the County Inspector.

They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.

He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago.”

“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly. “Maybe,” he said 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.

Ans: The report must be read carefully so that performance can be improved.

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

Ans: At the interview, Sameer answered our questions loftily, shrugging his shoulders.

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

Ans: We all behave differently when we are tired or hungry.

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

Ans: The teacher shook her head sorrowfully when Ravi lied to her.

(v) I _____________forgot about it.

Ans: I completely forgot about it.

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

Ans: When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled nonchalantly and turned away.

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

Ans: The President of the Company is awfully busy and will not be able to meet you.

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

Ans: I finished my work quickly so that I could go out to play.

3. Make adverbs from these adjectives.

(i) angry 

Ans: Angrily

(ii) happy 

Ans: Happily

(iii) merry 

Ans: Merrily

(iv) sleepy 

Ans: Sleepily

(v) easy 

Ans: Easily

(vi) noisy 

Ans: Noisily

(vii) tidy 

Ans: Tidily

(viii) gloomy  

Ans: Gloomily

II. Complete the following conditional sentences. Use the correct form of the verb.

1. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, _______________

Ans: If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, she will be angry.

2. If you don’t telephone the hotel to order food, ______________

Ans:  If you don’t telephone the hotel to order food, you will miss your evening meal.

3. Unless you promise to write back, I ______________

Ans:  Unless you promise to write back, I will not write to you.

4. If she doesn’t play any games, _______________

Ans: If she doesn’t play any games, she will become dull and lazy.

5. Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat  ______________

Ans: Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat will pounce on it.

Writing:

A new revised volume of Issac Asimov’s short stories has just been released. Order one set. Write a letter to the publisher, Mind fame 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 

Your Letter Might Look Like This: 

Your address 

Date (DD/MM/YY) 

The addressee’s address 

Dear Sir/Madam, 

Yours sincerely,

Your signature 

Remember that the language of a formal letter is different from the colloquial style of personal letters. For ex, contracted forms such as ‘I’ve’ or ‘can’t’ are not used.

Ans:

A56, South City II,

Sohna Road,

Gurugram,

Haryana.

29/08/21

Mind fame Private Limited, 

1632 Asaf Ali Road, 

New Delhi.

Dear Sir

With due regards, Anupama Sharma would like to request you to send me one set of a newly revised volume of Issac  Asimov’s short stories. I would like you to send me the post by Value Payable Post (VPP). The delivery address will be the same as mentioned in the letter.

Thank you for taking into consideration my request and I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Anupama Sharma

NCERT Solutions for Beehive Chapter 1 - The Fun They Had Class 9 English - A Summary

Class 9 English Chapter 1 Beehive is an interesting story composed by the American writer Issac Asimov. The story of 'The Fun They Had' was first published in a children's newspaper.

The prose fast forwards its readers to the year 2157, into a fictional digitized world with computers playing a vital role. An interesting piece of science fiction, this story tickles the imagination of what such a world would appear like, where school buildings no longer exist and robots take over the roles of teachers. The story leaves us with a subtle yet important message that in a parallel world like this, being oblivious of the benefits of the personal interactions between students and teachers is essentially detrimental to the development of many social skills in youngsters. One of the major themes of The Fun They Had Class 9 is education and the advantages and drawbacks of computerized education, estranged from the real world.

To understand the major themes, and underlying meanings and develop your English writing skills download the Class 9 English Chapter 1 Beehive - The Fun They Had free PDF file today.

Vedantu’s NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English The Fun They Had have been curated in adherence to the latest CBSE guidelines and exam patterns. The need for students to understand and follow simple yet elaborate explanations of complex ideas, underlying themes, and words has been considered by subject experts while drafting accurate and reliable solutions. Going through Class 9 English The Fun They Had solutions will ensure you are able to confidently answer all textbook and other chapter-related questions efficiently. Download and refer to the free PDF of for your exam preparation.

The Plot Summary of The Fun They Had Class 9

The poem 'The Fun They Had' of Class 9th English Chapter 1 is science fiction. This poem leaves a strong message to the education system. The threat of computerized education and estrangement from social interactions is highlighted. This poem describes the time of the year 2155 when the education system will be entirely dependent on the machines. Students will learn from their robotic teachers. They will have no idea of the classic education system and real books. The central character Margie's neighbour friend Tommy, however, finds a real book. They show the book to Margie's grandfather and ask about the new thing they found. The grandfather tells them his childhood memories of how he used to study in a large group in school.

Margie and Tommy become happy imagining the happiness of classical group study. They get to know about a real person as a teacher. Thus the whole summary revolves around the computerized education system in a mocking tone. Beehive Class 9 Chapter 1 is not only beneficial for learning English but also it leaves a great message.

Why You Should Learn Vedantu’s NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 1?

• Vedantu's NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 1 Beehive are designed in accordance with the latest CBSE guidelines and exam patterns.

• The solutions from Class 9th English Chapter 1 provide clear and elaborate explanations of complex ideas, underlying themes, and vocabulary to cater to students' understanding needs.

• Subject experts have carefully drafted these solutions, ensuring accuracy and reliability.

• By studying Beehive Class 9 Chapter 1 solutions, students can gain confidence and efficiently answer all textbook and chapter-related questions.

• The Class 9 English The Fun They Had solutions are available as a free PDF download, making it convenient for students to access and refer to them during exam preparation.

Conclusion

By using Vedantu’s NCERT solutions for Beehive Class 9 Chapter 1, you can enhance your comprehension skills, improve your writing abilities, and develop a critical understanding of the story. Our solutions act as a comprehensive guide to assist you in preparing for your exams and scoring well in English. So, why wait? Access our NCERT solutions for Class 9th English Chapter 1 - "The Fun They Had" and embark on a journey to explore the intriguing world of futuristic education. Master the chapter, gain confidence, and excel in your English studies!

Important Study Material Links for Chapter 1 

Chapters-wise NCERT Class 9 English Beehive

Chapters-wise NCERT Class 9 English Beehive (Poem)

Other Book-wise Links for NCERT Solutions Class 9 English 

Related Important Study Material of Class 9 English