5 . Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Swimming way to success

What does it take to graduate from a university? Many     1     say all you have to do is take classes and pass the exams. Well, it requires more than it if you’re a student at Tsinghua University.

Starting this September, freshmen at the university will have to take swimming courses. If they fail a swimming test at the beginning of their university course, they won’t receive their degree     2     they can pass the test successfully, according to an announcement by Tsinghua University president Qiu Yong.

Exceptions     3    (allow) for students with certain physical or mental conditions, if proved by medical staff.

Liu Bo, head of the Division of Sports Science and Physical Education, explained     4     the university is linking swimming ability with degrees.

“As a requisite(必要的) survival skill, swimming is beneficial for students in the long run, since swimming is helpful in improving students’ endurance and is     5    (harmful) to joints(关节) and muscles as a water sport,” he told China Daily.

Viewing the ability     6    (swim) as a must for students is not something new to this university - it was also a requirement in the early 20th century.

It was later dropped     7    a rising number of students and a lack of facilities. Besides Tsinghua University, Peking University and Xiamen University have also listed swimming as a compulsory course for students.

However, the announcement has caused a heated debate.

Some welcomed the new rule, saying it’s a necessary skill that can save lives. “Swimming is a fundamental(基本的) skill. It’s a way to stay healthy and is lifesaving in emergency situations. I believe making     8     mandatory(强制的) is necessary,” Yuan Jiaxiang, a junior in Tsinghua’s Department of Civil Engineering, told China Daily.

However, some said it has nothing to do with getting a degree. “It’s not reasonable to require people to be able to swim for them to graduate,” Zheng Xiaoyu, a high school student from the Middle School Affiliated to Northern Jiaotong University, told China Daily. “For a lot of people who grew up in inland cities, learning how to swim as an adult will be difficult.”

In fact, Chinese universities are not the only education organizations     9     encourage their students to swim. A few colleges in the United States - including Cornell, Columbia and MIT - offer swim classes to students. “Anything     10    (prevent) people from dying needlessly is a valuable skill,” Fred DeBruyn, director of aquatics(水上运动) at Cornell, told The New York Times.