Why is the idea of a human teacher strange for Tommy?

Correct answer: Because machine teachers are normal in his time

The governing concept is how a person’s surroundings shape expectations and define what seems normal. Tommy belongs to a future society in which children usually receive lessons from mechanical teachers at home. Since he has grown up with that system, the idea that a real person once stood before a class and taught many children seems unusual and almost unbelievable. His reaction is not caused by a dislike of study, ignorance of books, or the supposed inability of human teachers to speak. Option C is correct because the normal educational experience of Tommy’s time is machine-based. The story uses his surprise to show how technological habits can make earlier human practices appear strange to later generations.