1—12单元名词解释.docVIP

Unit 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 cultural and business centre and the headquarters of the vast majority of Britain’s big companies. It is not only the financial centre of the nation, but also one of the three major international financial centres in the world. Robin Hood Robin Hood was a Saxon nobleman. As he could no longer put up with oppressions from the Normans, he became an outlaw and hid himself with his band of “merry man” in the forest. From this secret place, he went out to rob from the rich to give the poor. 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. 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. King Harold He was the Saxon King whose army was defeated in the Battle of Hasting in 1066, when William the Conqueror invaded England from France. Unit 2 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. 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. Sinn Fein Sinn Fein is a legal political party in Northern Ireland which supports the IRA to fight fo