英美国家概况 英国篇

Unit 1

1.London

London is the largest city located in the south of the country. It is dominant in Britain in all sorts of ways. It is the culture and business center and the headquarters of the vast majority of Britain’s big companies. It is not only the financial center of the nation, but also one of the three major international financial centers in the world.

2.Robin Hood

Robin Hood was a Saxon nobleman. As he could no longer put up with oppression from the Normans, he became an outlaw and hid himself with his band of “merry men” in the forest. From this secret place, he went out to rob from the rich to give the poor.

3.The Anglo-Saxons

They were two groups of Germanic peoples who settled down in England from the 5th century. They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England.

4.King Arthur

It is said that he was the King of England in the 5th century and united the British and drove the Saxons back with his magical sword, Excalibur. His real existence is in doubt. He is the central figure of many legends.

5.King Harold

He was the Saxon King whose army was defeated in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when William the Conquer invaded England from France.

Unit 2

1.The Easter Rising

In order to gain independence, different Irish groups had been fighting against the British institutions and the British military forces. One such activity was the Easter Rising which took place in 1916. The rebels occupied Dublin’s Post Office and forced the British to take it back by military force. The leaders of the rebellion were executed by the British authorities.

2.The Provisional IRA

In 1919, a group calling itself the IRA expanded fighting for Irish freedom and independence. The Provisional IRA is the radical faction of the IRA. They prefer the use of force and believe that armed force is the only way to get the British out and to have a unified Ireland.

3.Sinn Fein

Sinn Fein is a legal political party in Northern Ireland which supports the IRA to fight for the union of Ireland. The leaders of Sinn Fein prefer union with Ireland by a twin campaign, both military and political which they call the policy of “the Bullet and the

Ballot Box”. It believes that without the participation of Sinn Fein the political problem of Northern Ireland cannot be thoroughly solved.

4.Home Rule

Ireland had long been dominated by Britain, but Irish desire for an independent Irish state was never lost. “Home Rule”refers to a campaign for Irish control of Irish affairs. The Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1914, but the process was overtaken by the First World War and was suspended for the duration of the war.

5.The Good Friday Agreement

As a result of multi-party negotiations, the Good Friday Agreement was approved on 10 April 1998. This agreement assures the loyalist community that Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom and it won't change its political status unless the majority of the people of Northern Ireland agree. Under the terms of the agreement, Northern Ireland should be governed by three separate jurisdictions: that of the Republic of Ireland, that of Great Britain and that of its own elected executive government of ten ministers.