Hilton English Language Center

Information for New Students

Class time: 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

The Language Center is open Monday to Friday. Each class has one afternoon free per week. On the first day, go to the lecture hall to check your timetable.

Self-access (自习): The language laboratory (Room 1110) is open Monday to Friday from 3:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. for all full-time students.

You can learn how to use computers for language games. There are tapes for students to borrow to practice their English. Go in and ask the teacher to show you. If you plan to take public examinations, there are listening comprehension tapes for you to practice with. There are other kinds of exercises on the computers. Ask your class teacher for a list of past exam essays. Students can borrow tapes to take home but they must be returned after two days.

Attendance (出勤): All students are expected to attend classes as it is required. Students who do not attend classes will be reported to OSS. Eighty percent attendance is required for students to receive their certificates (证书) when they finish their courses.

Books: If students are given course books, the books are their responsibility. If a book is lost, the student will be expected to pay for it. If students wish to buy books, there is a bookshop in the college specializing in English books (Room 3520).

The Best Books of 2020

On Monday, the American Library Association announced the top children’s books of 2020. Here are the winners.

Devotion

Author Clare Vanderpool took home the John Newbery Medal for outstanding contribution to children’s literature for Moon over Manifest. The book is about a young girl’s magical adventures in a small Kansas town, in 1936.

Vanderpool said that she was shocked to learn that she had won. “You grow up reading legendary authors like Madeleine L’Engle, but I never expected to be put in a category with her,” Vanderpool told TFK, “It’s fabulous”.

Picture This

The picture book A Sick Day for Amos McGee won the Randolph Caldecott Medal. The book was illustrated by Ein E. Stead and written by her husband, Philip C. Stead. It tells the story of an elderly zookeeper and the animals that visit him when he’s not well enough to go to work.

“I love drawing animals and I love drawing people and I love drawing the emotional connection between animals and people,” said Stead.

More Honored Books

The Coretta Scott King award, given to an African-American author and illustrator of “outstanding books for children and young adults”, went to Rita Williams-Garcia for One Crazy Summer. Set in 1968, the novel follows three sisters from Brooklyn, New York, who visit their mother, a poet who ran away years ago and lives in California, and later learn much about family, their country and themselves.

The king prize for best-illustrated work went to Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. The book, which was written by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Bryan Collier, tells the story of a skilled potter who engraved his poems on the clay pots and jars that he made. The enslaved potter, known only as Dave, lived in South Carolina in the 1800s.

Amazing natural landscapes

Volcanoes and Coastal Cliffs in Hawaii

With their volcanoes, valleys, waterfalls and towering coastal cliffs, the islands of Hawaii have some of the most spectacularly beautiful scenery on earth. No wonder Hawaii, especially the island of Kauai, is Hollywood’s favorite location for movies. Don’t forget to enjoy all these scenic splendors by taking a helicopter flight and going hiking.

When to visit: the off-season, when the best rates are available and the islands are less crowded, is spring (April to June)and fall (September to November).

Spectacular Mountains in Nepal

The small country of Nepal is situated in the Himalayan Mountains at the foot of Mount Qomolangma. Eight of the 14 independent mountains on earth that are more than 8,000 meters high above sea level are located in the country, offering strikingly beautiful mountainous scenery with hiking opportunities.

When to visit: October and November, the start of the dry season, are the best months to visit Nepal.

Mountains and Oceans of the National Parks of Western Canada

Deep in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, you will find world-class and jaw-dropping scenery, centered around glacial lakes. Wildlife is abundant in these areas, especially in Jasper National Park, which is well-known for wildlife viewing and home to some of North America’s rarest animals including grizzlies, bisons and wolves.

When to visit: the Canadian Rockies and Canada’s West Coast are best visited in summer. If you want to avoid the tourist crowds, travel in June or September.

Impressive Landscapes of New Zealand

New Zealand is a land of natural diversity. You’ll see things that you won’t see anywhere else in the world. Within a day or two’s drive, you can see great mountains, subtropical forests, and miles of coastline with sandy beaches. Don’t miss Abel Tasman National Park.

When to visit: the best time to visit New Zealand is between October and April, with high season (meaning high prices and low availability for hotels) between mid-December and the end of January.