Paragraph 1
"MARGIE even wrote about it that night in her diary. On the page headed 17 May 2157, she wrote, 'Today Tommy found a real book!' It was a very old book. Margie's grandfather once said that when he was a little boy his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper. 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. And then when they turned back to the page before, it had the same words on it that it had had when they read it the first time."
Questions: 1. What date did Margie head her diary entry? A) 17 May 1957 B) 17 May 2057 C) 17 May 2157 D) 17 March 2157
2. Who found the real book? A) Margie B) Tommy C) Margie's grandfather D) The mechanical teacher
3. What was the physical condition of the book's pages? A) White and smooth B) Yellow and crinkly C) Torn and faded D) Shiny and new
4. How did the words in the printed book behave differently than what the children were used to? A) They moved across the page B) They disappeared after being read C) They stood still D) They glowed in the dark
5. How did Margie and Tommy feel about reading still words? A) They found it awfully funny B) They found it very boring C) They were frightened D) They thought it was normal
Paragraph 2
"'Gee,' said Tommy, 'what a waste. When you're through with the book, you just throw it away, I guess. Our television screen must have had a million books on it and it's good for plenty more. I wouldn't throw it away.' 'Same with mine,' said Margie. She was eleven and hadn't seen as many telebooks as Tommy had. He was thirteen. She said, 'Where did you find it?' 'In my house.' He pointed without looking, because he was busy reading. 'In the attic.' 'What's it about?' 'School.'"
Questions: 1. Who declared the printed book to be "a waste"? A) Margie B) Tommy C) Margie's mother D) The Inspector
2. What did Tommy assume people did with printed books after reading them? A) Kept them safely B) Gave them away C) Just threw them away D) Burned them
3. How old was Margie? A) Ten B) Eleven C) Twelve D) Thirteen
4. How old was Tommy? A) Eleven B) Twelve C) Thirteen D) Fourteen
5. What did Tommy say the old book was about? A) History B) Geography C) Science D) School
Paragraph 3
"Margie was scornful. 'School? What's there to write about school? I hate school.' Margie always hated school, but now she hated it more than ever. 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 for the County Inspector."
Questions: 1. What was Margie's initial reaction when she heard the book was about school? A) She was excited B) She was scornful C) She was confused D) She was delighted
2. Why did Margie hate school more than ever recently? A) Tommy was teasing her B) The mechanical teacher gave her test after test C) She had no friends D) The screen was broken
3. In which subject was the mechanical teacher testing Margie? A) Arithmetic B) History C) Geography D) English
4. How was Margie performing on her recent tests? A) Better and better B) Average C) Worse and worse D) Perfect
5. Who did Margie's mother send for to address the problem? A) A human teacher B) The County Inspector C) Margie's grandfather D) A doctor
Paragraph 4
"He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires. He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart. Margie had hoped he wouldn't know how to put it together again, but he knew how all right, and, after an hour or so, there it was again, large and black and ugly, with a big screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked. That wasn't so bad. The part Margie hated most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. 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."
Questions: 1. How is the County Inspector physically described? A) A tall, thin man with a black beard B) A round little man with a red face C) A young man with glasses D) An old man with grey hair
2. What did the Inspector carry with him? A) A bag of books B) A box of tools with dials and wires C) A new screen D) A set of punch codes
3. What action did the Inspector take with the mechanical teacher? A) He threw it away B) He took it apart C) He painted it D) He moved it to another room
4. How long did it take the Inspector to fix the machine? A) A few minutes B) Half an hour C) An hour or so D) Three hours
5. Which part of the mechanical teacher did Margie hate the most? A) The big screen B) The dials and wires C) The slot where she had to put homework and test papers D) The voice
Paragraph 5
"The Inspector had smiled after he was finished and patted Margie's head. He said to her mother, 'It's not the little girl's fault, Mrs Jones. I think the geography sector was geared a little too quick. Those things happen sometimes. I've slowed it up to an average ten-year level. Actually, the overall pattern of her progress is quite satisfactory.' And he patted Margie's head again. Margie was disappointed. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether. They had once taken Tommy's teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely. So she said to Tommy, 'Why would anyone write about school?'"
Questions: 1. What did the Inspector identify as the problem? A) Margie wasn't studying enough B) The geography sector was geared a little too quick C) The machine was completely broken D) The punch code was wrong
2. To what level did the Inspector slow the geography sector down? A) An eight-year level B) An average ten-year level C) An eleven-year level D) A thirteen-year level
3. How did the Inspector describe the overall pattern of Margie's progress? A) Terrible B) Slower than average C) Quite satisfactory D) Outstanding
4. How did Margie feel after the Inspector fixed the teacher? A) Relieved B) Excited C) Disappointed D) Indifferent
5. What had Margie been hoping would happen to the teacher? A) That they would take it away altogether B) That it would give her easier tests C) That it would break again D) That it would teach history instead
Paragraph 6
"Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes. 'Because it's not our kind of school, stupid. This is the old kind of school that they had hundreds and hundreds of years ago.' He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, 'Centuries ago.' Margie was hurt. 'Well, I don't know what kind of school they had all that time ago.' She read the book over his shoulder for a while, then said, 'Anyway, they had a teacher.' 'Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn't a regular teacher. It was a man.' 'A man? How could a man be a teacher?' 'Well, he just told the boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions.'"
Questions: 1. According to Tommy, how long ago did the old kind of schools exist? A) Decades ago B) Hundreds and hundreds of years ago C) A few years ago D) Thousands of years ago
2. How did Tommy pronounce the word "Centuries"? A) Quickly and quietly B) Loftily and carefully C) With a stutter D) Angrily
3. How did Margie feel after Tommy's lofty response? A) Hurt B) Amused C) Excited D) Bored
4. What fact did Margie point out about the old schools? A) They had mechanical teachers B) They had no homework C) They had a teacher D) They were very strict
5. What did the human teacher do for the boys and girls? A) Gave them apples and played games B) Told them things, gave them homework, and asked questions C) Calculated their marks in no time D) Fixed their screens
Paragraph 7
"'A man isn't smart enough.' 'Sure he is. My father knows as much as my teacher.' 'He knows almost as much, I betcha.' Margie wasn't prepared to dispute that. She said, 'I wouldn't want a strange man in my house to teach me.' Tommy screamed with laughter. 'You don't know much, Margie. The teachers didn't live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there.' 'And all the kids learned the same thing?' 'Sure, if they were the same age.'"
Questions: 1. Why did Margie doubt a man could teach? A) She thought men were too busy B) She said "A man isn't smart enough." C) She thought men didn't like school D) She preferred machines
2. What scenario did Margie say she wouldn't want? A) A strange man in her house to teach her B) A mechanical teacher in her bedroom C) To go to a special building D) To read a printed book
3. According to Tommy, where did the teachers live in the old days? A) In the students' houses B) They didn't live in the house; they had a special building C) In the library D) In the schoolyard
4. Where did all the kids go to learn? A) To their respective bedrooms B) To the special building C) To the teacher's house D) To the park
5. Did all the kids learn the same thing? A) No, everyone learned differently B) Yes, if they were the same age C) Only if they were in the same family D) Only if they were smart enough
Paragraph 8
"'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.' 'Just the same they didn't do it that way then. If you don't like it, you don't have to read the book.' 'I didn't say I didn't like it,' Margie said quickly. She wanted to read about those funny schools. They weren't even half finished when Margie's mother called, 'Margie! School!' Margie looked up. 'Not yet, Mamma.' 'Now!' said Mrs Jones. 'And it's probably time for Tommy, too.' Margie said to Tommy, 'Can I read the book some more with you after school?'"
Questions: 1. According to Margie's mother, what must a teacher be adjusted to fit? A) The county's standards B) The mind of each boy and girl it teaches C) The age of the parents D) The size of the screen
2. How did Mrs. Jones believe each kid should be taught? A) Exactly the same B) Differently C) By a human D) In a special building
3. Who interrupted their reading session? A) The County Inspector B) Margie's mother C) Tommy's father D) The mechanical teacher
4. How did Margie respond to her mother's call? A) "Coming!" B) "Not yet, Mamma." C) "I don't want to." D) She ignored her completely.
5. What did Margie ask Tommy before heading to school? A) "Can I keep the book?" B) "Can I read the book some more with you after school?" C) "Will you help me with my test?" D) "Where are you going?"
Paragraph 9
"'May be,' he said nonchalantly. He walked away whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm. Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday, because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours."
Questions: 1. How did Tommy respond to Margie's request to read the book later? A) "Yes, definitely." B) "No way." C) "May be," nonchalantly. D) "I have to ask my mom."
2. Where was Margie's schoolroom located? A) Down the hall B) In the basement C) Right next to her bedroom D) In the living room
3. Was the mechanical teacher ready for Margie? A) Yes, it was on and waiting for her B) No, it was turned off C) It was broken again D) It was running an update
4. Why was the mechanical teacher turned on at the exact same time every day? A) Because it saved electricity B) Because the Inspector programmed it that way C) Because her mother said little girls learned better at regular hours D) Because Margie requested it
5. What kind of routine did Margie have for her schooling? A) Flexible and random B) Strict and regular C) Only on weekends D) Whenever she wanted
Paragraph 10
"The screen was lit up, and it said: 'Today's arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper fractions. Please insert yesterday's homework in the proper slot.' Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather's grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighborhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the homework and talk about it. And the teachers were people... The mechanical teacher was flashing on the screen: 'When we add fractions 1/2 and 1/4...' Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking about the fun they had."
Questions: 1. What was the arithmetic lesson on that day? A) Division of whole numbers B) Multiplication tables C) The addition of proper fractions D) Subtraction of decimals
2. What time period was Margie daydreaming about? A) The year 2000 B) When her grandfather's grandfather was a little boy C) The future D) The time before the mechanical teacher broke
3. What did the kids do at the end of the day in the old schools? A) Stayed for extra lessons B) Cleaned the classroom C) Went home together D) Took another test
4. Why was it beneficial that the kids learned the same things? A) They could help one another with the homework and talk about it B) The teachers didn't have to work as hard C) It made the tests easier to grade D) It saved money on books
5. What was Margie ultimately thinking about at the end of the story? A) Her geography marks B) Tommy's printed book C) The fun they had D) The addition of fractions