1 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage 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.

A new study published today shows that e-learning is more popular than ever. According to researchers at Shanghai University, 57% of students now obtain degrees through e-learning, with only 43%    1    (get)their degrees by attending a traditional university. This year, 18 million students around the world decided to start e-learning courses from the comfort of their own homes.

We spoke to Zheng Tai, an eighteen-year-old student from Sichuan Province    2     started an e-learning course last month.

“After I finished high school, I knew I wanted to continue to study,” Zheng Tai told us. “I worked hard and managed    3    (get)good results in all of my exams. I really wanted to study economics at university, but I wasn’t sure    4    leaving home was a good idea. I felt bad about leaving my parents. My father suffers from a severe illness which    5    (cause)his muscles to stop working properly. He often needs help moving around. He also needs someone to cook his meals and give    6    his medicine at the right time each day. My mother is a teacher, so she cannot help him during the day. We    7    have hired someone to take care of him, but I just didn’t feel right leaving my father with a stranger.

My mum suggested I go to a university nearby and continue to live at home, but none of    8    universities close to my home town offer economics. Then my friend suggested I find out more about e-learning. I soon learnt that I could get a good degree    9     leaving home. I applied to the University of London, and they accepted me. I started an economics course with them four weeks ago.”

However,     10    Zheng Tai is now a student at the University of London, he has never been to the UK. In fact, he has never left Sichuan.

2 . Online learning is a term used to describe distance courses that are offered over the Internet. The courses cover a wide range of subjects and audiences. This educational method is growing in popularity as an economical method of providing access to education for a large population.

There are two types of online course access: open and restricted. Open access allows actually anyone with an Internet user to view the course material. This type of online learning does not require interaction with an instructor. The material covered can range from very specific instructions to university level courses. This initiative removes the barriers to advanced knowledge and allows anyone with the interest to learn. The other type of online courses are restricted access courses. Restricted access is used to limit the class to registered students. These courses offer instructor interaction and are typically the method used by courses that require grades upon graduation.

It is more efficient for both the educator and the student to access course materials online. From the educator aspect, the course lectures can be recorded once and reused. This greatly reduced the staff time and costs. Meanwhile, online courses allow students to complete coursework from a wide range of locations and remove the time restriction to access course lectures. Students are no longer required to travel to the class and many course materials are included in the fee. The material for online courses has been carefully reviewed and approved before the course is offered. Many introduction and courses do not change, as the material is fixed. As a result, the courses are stable and can be reused as needed.

Technology continues to expand to meet the needs of online students. These tools include mobile audio and video viewers, improved online interactive tests, and tool and course management software. The continued development in this area will further enhance the quality of online courses and encourage more people to further their education.

1. Why is online learning winning more recognition?

A．It is cost-effective.	B．It is free to access.
C．No teacher is required.	D．Education is getting more important.

2. What do we learn about restricted access?

A．Learners are required to register.	B．Learners can learn without evaluation.
C．It is intended for advanced learners only.	D．It has no interaction with an instructor.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about online courses?

A．The participants.	B．The time restrictions.
C．The advantages.	D．The ever-changing materials.

4. How does the author feel about the future of online learning?

A．Challenging.

B．Critical.

C．Worrying.

D．Promising.