Come to meet our stars! The world-famous Ringling Bros Circusis building up the excitement one hour before the show begins. At the All Access Pre-Show children of all ages are invited to join our performers on the show floor. It's your chance to be right in the middle of the circus action. You can learn circus skills and get signatures from extraordinary circus stars, try on a traditional Ringmaster jacket and be part of our dance party!

Gypsy Gomes comes from Argentina where she was taught her circus skills as a child. She will leave your head spinning as she controls up t0 80 hoola hoops (呼啦圈) while balancing on a huge mirror ball. Having many hoops thrown in her direction all at once is just one of her many talents.

Emily Ryan gives thrilling performances in her German Wheel. Her beauty and courage go hand in hand with her broad talents and tricks.

With the most elegant touch, Emma Avery bravely steps out into thin air on a silver thread of wire, showing her skills not only of balance but of beautifully performed talents.

Sixth generation Swiss circus artist, Rosita Gasser performs a unique and very modern display on the Roman Rings with skill, balance and style. Her strength and control during performance has come from being a single, double and flying trapeze (空中飞人) from the young age of eight and a lifetime in the circus.

To take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, just visit ringlingbros.expapp.com from your iPhone or Android smartphone, provide your name, email and phone number to see the exciting experiences that are waiting for you!

Reserve seats on any 2017 Rick Steves tour today, and you’ll save $ 100 per person! To receive your early booking discount, you must reserve a 2017 tour by midnight on November 30, 2016. Discounts are for new bookings only and must be secured with a $400 per person deposit(订金).

See our Conditions:

   Tour price guarantee: our tour prices do not include air tickets, and may be adjusted without notice due to possible changes in currency rates and trip costs. However, your price for the tour you’ve selected will be guaranteed the moment we receive your deposit.

   Included in the price of each tour: Sightseeing tours by a Rick Steves’ Europe(RSE) guide, and local guides when appropriate, including all admission to sights seen as a group; all breakfasts and half of your dinners; accommodation each night; all transportation from the first hotel to the last hotel of the tour; all RSE guide, local guide and driver tips.

   The plans of the trip may be changed: Europe is full of surprise, and we need to be flexible enough to take advantage of whatever comes along so that we may provide you with the best possible tour.

   Tour payments: Your final tour payment must be paid at least 60 days before the departure. Missing the final payment deadline may result in your being removed from the tour! If you sign up for a tour less than 60 days before its departure, the entire tour price must be paid.

   Transferring(改签) to another tour: Up to 60 days before your departure, you can transfer to any other tour in the same calendar year with seats available, applying your existing deposit and with no transfer fee. If you transfer to a different tour, the price of that tour will be applied, effective on the date we confirm your transfer. Transfers less than 60 days before your tour’s departure may not be possible.

I have always considered myself a positive optimist, trying to find the best in every situation. Iˈve recently become aware of how two little  (1)   have had a great impact on people.

My son  (2)  to tell me about a house he was interested in.I said, "Honey, I am glad that youˈve found something you like,   (3)  …"There, I continued, "Donˈt you think,with the gas prices, you might want to buy one  (4)  to your work?" As he told me all about the possible house, I could hear the  (5)  in his voice. The moment I spoke the word, BUT, it was  (6)   I pricked a balloon with a needle（针）.I could hear him slowly deflate（泄气）. I  (7)  that if I had used the word AND—"Honey, Iˈm glad you found a house in your  (8)  range, AND Iˈm happy for you."—he wouldnˈt have been  (9)  , and weˈd have both hung up feel better.

My daughter  (10)  at my door dressed like a princess on her way to the prom. I told her how graceful looked and I was  (11)  of the young lady she has become, and I said, "Sweetheart, you  (12)  having a great time, but please donˈt drink tonight." I know she doesnˈt engage in  (13)  behavior; sheˈs responsible and sensible. She looked as though Iˈd snatched her crown. "Mom!" The tone of her voice indicated how Iˈd  (14)  her feel. How I wish Iˈd said, "I want you to have a great time, AND I   (15)  you."

My husband helps around the house. I was  (16)  he had lightened my work load. I told him how wonderful he is, and I used that naughty word again."BUT,why did you  (17)  crumbs（面包屑）all over the counter? "Why?Why?Why didnˈt I say," Thank you, AND I am  (18)  or all you do around the house."

Iˈve been doing some  (19)  . I am going to remove that naughty little word from my  (20)  and replace it with the word AND. This is a decision I intend to keep!

Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising that there are many expressions about cats. Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries (金丝雀). If someone looks very proud or satisfied with himself, we say he looks like the cat that eats the canary.

       Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you play cat and mouse with someone, you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to his little brother and then take it away when he reaches for it.

       You may have known that cats spend most of their time sleeping. Sometimes people sleep for a short time during the day. This is called a cat nap.

       If you tell about something that was supposed to be a secret, we say you let the cat out of the bag. If you are not able to speak or answer a question, someone might ask if the cat has got your tongue.

       Have you ever watched children in classroom when their teacher leaves for a few minutes? “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” will best describe that situation.

       You may have heard this expression: curiosity killed the cat. This means being too concerned about things that are not your business might cause problems.

If your home is very small, you might say there is not enough room to swing a cat. But you probably should not try this at home!

Greeting cards first appeared as simple pieces of paper by both the Egyptians and Chinese to show their messages of goodwill. As time went by, Europeans began to send them to one another for holidays such as Valentine’s Day --- and that happened as early as in the 1400s. Of course, these cards were handmade and they were big ticket items, so not everyone could afford to send them with their best wishes in holidays.

Greeting cards became really popular in the 1850s when printing as well as the invention of stamps made people all over the world send greeting cards to their loved ones. Now, the greeting card is a billion-dollar business, with people buying and sending cards for holidays, religious celebrations or birthdays, and even just as a simple thank-you. The two largest greeting card companies--- Hallmark and American Greetings, offer cards that are perfect for any occasion, with themes and illustrations that are great for all tastes.

Of course, you don’t need to buy your greeting cards in a store. Computers and home printers have made it easy to create and print out your own cards at home. Many people have also started to make paper crafts and their own greeting cards out of many different materials, which costs a lot of time but certainly shows strong emotion.

Greeting cards have developed from an item used only by the rich to an everyday tradition. Whether you want to communicate with relatives far away, or just let your sweethearts know how much you love them, greeting cards make a great way to brighten up their day!

Imagine, one day, getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours, and then, after a full day of work, going back home to Beijing and having dinner there.

Sounds unusual, doesnˈt it? But itˈs not that unrealistic, with the development of China’s high-speed railway system. And that’s not all. China has an even greater high-speed railway plan—to connect the country with Southeast Asia, and eventually Eastern Europe.

China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years, eventually reaching London and Singapore.

China has proposed three such projects. The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia. Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and possibly to Germany. The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe.

If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward, people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days.

The new system would still follow China’s high-speed railway standard. And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as some airplanes.

China’s bullet train, the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou, already has the world’s fastest average speed. It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours.

Of course, there are some technical challenges to overcome. There are so many issues that need to be settled, such as safety, rail gauge (轨距), maintenance of railway tracks. So, it’s important to pay attention to every detail.

But the key issue is really money. China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic railway expansion.

China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment. Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development.

It’ll be a win-win project. For other countries, the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business, tourism and so on, not to mention the better communication among those countries.

For China, such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources, but would also help develop China’s far west. We foresee that in the coming decades, millions of people will migrate to the western regions, where the land is empty and resources unused. With high-speed trains, people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all. And they’ll trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries.

Ecotourism：A Different Way to Travel

Are you attracted to obscure places? Do you prefer to vacation away from other tourists? Are you careful to take only memories and to leave only footprints？If you answered yes to more than one of these questions，you just might be an ecotourist.

Ecotourists are people who want to experience the unspoiled natural world—and leave it that way when they return home. This trend started in the 1990s，and ecotourism is now growing three times faster than the tourism industry at large. The Kapawi Ecolodge in Ecuador’s remote Amazon Basin is contributing to that expansion，and it gives a snapshot of what ecotourism looks like.

At the Ecolodge，a small group of cabins sits in the middle of the Achuar people’s reserve and is only accessible by air. From here，visitors can explore parts of the Amazon rainforest seen by few outsiders. As they do，local Achuar guides explain how the forest is like their supermarket，where they find food，clothing，medicine and tools. As a result，tourists learn to appreciate the local culture as well as the natural environment.

The owners of Kapawi pay monthly rent to the Achuar people，but they also train the community to run and manage the lodge. They have agreed on a plan to turn the operation over to the Achuar completely by 2011.The owners are working to make ecotourism benefit and empower the local people.

You probably won’t start your own ecolodge，but you can be an ecotourist if you follow these guidelines：Protect the environment；Support local businesses；Respect the local customs and traditions.

The world is full of fascinating places to visit. As an ecotourist，you can enjoy them yourself and make sure that they remain beautiful for future generations as well.

The Masai are a people who are constantly trying to preserve their own ways in an increasingly modem world. They live along the border of Kenya and Tanzania, moving their homes from time to time to follow their cattle, the source of their living.

The Masai have become known as a people of fighters, protecting their cattle against lions and other enemies. Only men are fighters. They wear long hair, which is colored red with clay. They can have more than one wife. Women build and take care of the home, fixing food and making clothing. Women and children keep their heads shaved. Women can also become elders, once they have given birth to four healthy children.

The Masai depend on their cattle for many parts of their life. They drink cow's milk and blood as a sacred drink. They use the cows' waste to cover and seal their homes. They don't kill their cattle for food, but if a cow is killed, then the horns (角) are used for containers; the hides are used to make shoes, clothing, ropes and bed coverings; and the bones are made into decorations.

The more cattle a man owns, the richer he is considered to be. A man who owns 50 or fewer cattle is considered poor. A "rich" man has a thousand or more. The cattle, though owned by the man, are considered to belong to the man's entire family. The family names the cattle and can recognize each animal's unique voice.

Masai houses are made from sticks and grass, but they are meant to be temporary, since the move of their cattle means that the Masai move as well.

  We may think we’re a culture that gets rid of our worn technology at the first sight of something shiny and new, but a new study shows that we keep using our old devices (装置) well after they go out of style. That’s bad news for the environment—and our wallets—as these outdated devices consume much more energy than the newer ones that do the same things.

   To figure out how much power these devices are using, Callie Babbitt and her colleagues at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York tracked the environmental costs for each product throughout its life—from when its minerals are mined to when we stop using the device. This method provided a readout for how home energy use has evolved since the early 1990s. Devices were grouped by generation. Desktop computers, basic mobile phones, and box-set TVs defined 1992. Digital cameras arrived on the scene in 1997. And MP3 players, smart phones, and LCD TVs entered homes in 2002, before tablets and e-readers showed up in 2007.

   As we accumulated more devices, however, we didn’t throw out our old ones. “The living-room television is replaced and gets planted in the kids’ room, and suddenly one day, you have a TV in every room of the house,” said one researcher. The average number of electronic devices rose from four per household in 1992 to 13 in 2007. We’re not just keeping these old devices—we continue to use them. According to the analysis of Babbitt’s team, old desktop monitors and box TVs with cathode ray tubes are the worst devices with their energy consumption and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (排放) more than doubling during the 1992 to 2007 window.

   So what’s the solution (解决方案)? The team’s data only went up to 2007, but the researchers also explored what would happen if consumers replaced old products with new electronics that serve more than one function, such as a tablet for word processing and TV viewing. They found that more on-demand entertainment viewing on tablets instead of TVs and desktop computers could cut energy consumption by 44%.