China     1     (launch) a national cloud learning platform since Feb.3 and started broadcasting primary school classes     2     (ensure) the country’s 180 million students can still keep learning even though schools are closed, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. A new school semester,     3    (schedule) to start today, has been postponed indefinitely (无限期地) as part of     4     (measure) to fight the coronavirus. China authorities have encouraged people to stay at home to help reduce     5     (it) spread.

The approach differs by age. Primary school classes are being broadcast on one of China’s state TV channels. Junior and senior high school students in China can use an online learning platform     6     there are 169 lessons covering 12 subjects for the first week, based on the national curriculum. Teachers will keep     7     (update) the platform with new materials as needed.

The government has enlisted the China’s three     8     (big) telecoms operators—China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom—plus tech companies like Huawei, Baidu and Alibaba to back up the platform with 90 terabytes of bandwidth and 7,000 servers,     9     (make) sure up to 50 million students can use it simultaneously(同时地), according to state broadcaster CCTV News. About 600,000 teachers have also been using a livestreaming service called Dingtalk, built by Alibaba, to conduct online classes, the company said, although it has     10     (obvious) not gone down so well with many students.

Like most senior high school students in China, Liu Yu, had planned to continue her studies earlier this year to prepare for the upcoming College Entrance Examination.

However, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced in late January that the spring term     1    (delay) due to the novel corona virus pneumonia(新冠肺炎) outbreak, forcing students     2    Liu to stay at home.

Instead of    3    (fall) behind their original plan, Liu and many others have already begun studying full--time again --- only from home,    4    may have become    5    largest online teaching trial(尝试) the country has ever seen. To go with students' new learning environment, a “cloud platform” was launched on Feb 17 to provide    6    (they) with education resources. For students in remote or rural areas, a television channel by China Education Television started airing    7    (class) on Feb 17 so they can study at home.

However, online teaching and learning has its weaknesses     8    (compare) to studying in a physical classroom. “My motivation(动力)to study is    9     (strong) when my classmates are around me and all working very hard,” Liu Yu said.

According to the MOE, online courses are only temporary measures taken during the epidemic(疫情). When the new term    10    (begin), schools will not replace classroom teaching with online classes.

During the outbreak of COVID-19, online courses played     1     key role for students. But how do parents feel about this approach?

A recent survey     2     (conduct)by China Youth Daily has found that about 58.3 percent of Chinese parents of middle and primary school students have a positive attitude toward the     3     (effect)of online courses. Of the 2, 470 parents of middle and primary school students     4     were surveyed, 61.4 percent of those living in first-tier cities     5     (satisfy) with online courses, while about half of those living in counties, villages and other remote areas felt otherwise.

About 74 percent of the parents said online courses have added an extra burden on them     6     they have to spend more time taking care of and     7     (assist) their children. One Beijing parent told CGTN: "Most of the courses are delivered through recorded videos rather than livestreaming(直播), so students do not deal     8     (direct) with teachers. During classes, parents need to keep an eye on their children     9     (ensure) they stay focused.”

About 70. 5 percent of the respondents complained that their children got distracted(分心的)during online studies, with 92.8 percent blaming it for a lack of     10     (interact) they would have had in a classroom.