氣質姐與可愛可

When people think of Thailand, they tend to think of fun in the sun and beautiful tropical beaches. Tourism1 is a big industry that brings lots of money into Thailand and its capital city, Bangkok. By far, Bangkok is the largest city in the nation, and it is the most visited city in the country. The city itself has more than eight million people, or 12.6 percent of the population2. If the neighboring areas are considered, those numbers jump to 14 million and 22.2 percent of the country's total population2 of about 66 million. The city is famous for its nightlife and is also well known for its Muay Thai kickboxing3 matches.
　　Previously known as Siam, the Kingdom of Thailand has been ruled by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, also known as Rama IX, since 1946. This makes him the longest-serving4 leader of any country in the world. However, the real power in Thailand these days lies with the military government, which took power in May of 2014. Over the last several decades, there have been many political problems in the country. In addition, the military has taken control of the government and the country numerous5 times. For example, between 1932 and 1973, Thailand was governed mostly by military dictatorships6. Despite the country's many problems, however, Thailand has greatly benefited from the love tourists have for the country.

1. tend to V　　往往會∕易於（做）……
   Women tend to spend more time getting dressed than men.
   女人通常比男人花更多時間來穿衣打扮。
2. tropical a. 熱帶的
   I like tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapples.
   我喜歡像香蕉和鳳梨這類的熱帶水果。
3. rule vt. 統治，治理
   The king has ruled the kingdom for 50 years.
   該國王統治這個王國已有五十年之久。
4. military a. 軍事的，軍隊的
   military service　　兵役
   After finishing his military service, Andy went job hunting.
   安迪一服完兵役就去找工作了。
5. political a. 政治上的
   I like that talk show because it reflects my political views.
   我喜歡那個談話節目，因為它反映出我的政治觀點。
6. take control of...　　控制∕掌控……
   The teacher took control of the class in less than 10 minutes.
   老師十分鐘之內就控制住班上的秩序。
7. govern vt. 管理，統治
   The political party had governed the country so badly that it lost the election.
   該政黨把國家治理得亂七八糟，導致這次選舉失利。
8. benefit from...　　從……得到好處
   You'll certainly benefit from learning English.
   你學英文肯定會有好處。

1. tourism n. 旅遊業，觀光業
2. population n. 人口
3. kickboxing n. 搏擊，散打
4. longest-serving　a. 服務最久的，最資深的
5. numerous a. 許多的，為數眾多的
6. dictatorship n. 獨裁，專制

人們一想到泰國，往往會想到在陽光下玩樂，還有美麗的熱帶海灘。觀光業是個很重要的產業，為泰國和其首都曼谷帶來許多外匯。目前曼谷是泰國最大、也最多人造訪的城市。曼谷本身的人口有八百多萬，佔了全國人口的百分之十二點六。如果曼谷的鄰近區域也算在內的話，人口將躍升至一千四百萬，佔全國約六千六百萬總人口的百分之二十二點二。曼谷以夜生活而聞名，而且泰拳格鬥的比賽也相當有名。
　　舊稱暹羅的泰王國，從 1946 年以來一直都是由泰王蒲美蓬‧阿杜德（又稱拉瑪九世）所統治。這讓他成為了世界上任何一個國家中在位時間最久的領導者。然而，如今泰國真正的實權卻掌握在軍政府手上，軍政府在 2014 年五月接掌泰國。過去數十年以來，泰國有許多政治上的問題。此外，軍方掌控了政府和整個國家無數次。舉例來說，1932 到 1973 年間，泰國大致上是由軍方獨裁政權所統治。不過，雖然泰國有許多政治上的問題，泰國還是因為受到觀光客的喜愛而大大受益。