2 . 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.