Which object first reveals the change in the education system in the story?

Correct answer: The old printed book

The correct answer is A because the old printed book begins the story’s comparison between traditional schools and the future system. Tommy finds it unusual that the words remain fixed on a page instead of appearing and moving on a screen. This object leads the children to discuss books, classrooms, human teachers, and children studying together. The County Inspector’s bag becomes important later because it contains tools for repairing the mechanical teacher, but it does not first introduce the contrast. Margie’s bed and the schoolroom wall are merely parts of her home setting. Therefore, the printed book is the first concrete object that exposes how radically education has changed.