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Unit11.LondonLondonisthelargestcitylocatedinthesouthofthecountry.ItisdominantinBritaininallsortsofways.ItistheculturalandbusinesscentreandtheheadquartersofthevastmajorityofBritain’sbigcompanies.Itisnotonlythefinancialcentreofthenation,butalsooneofthethreemajorinternationalfinancialcentresintheworld.2.RobinHoodRobinHoodwasaSaxonnobleman.AshecouldnolongerputupwithoppressionsfromtheNormans,hebecameanoutlawandhidhimselfwithhisbandof“merryman”intheforest.Fromthissecretplace,hewentouttorobfromtherichtogivethepoor.3.TheAnglo-SaxonsTheyweretwogroupsofGermanicpeopleswhosettleddowninEnglandfromthe5thcentury.TheywereregardedastheancestorsoftheEnglishandthefoundersofEngland.4.KingArthurItissaidthathewastheKingofEnglandinthe5thcenturyandunitedtheBritishanddrovetheSaxonsbackwithhismagicalsword,Excalibur.Hisrealexistenceisindoubt.Heisthecentralfigureofmanylegends.5.KingHaroldHewastheSaxonKingwhosearmywasdefeatedintheBattleofHastingin1066,whenWilliamtheConquerorinvadedEnglandfromFrance.Unit21.TheEasterRisingInordertogainindependence,differentIrishgroupshadbeenfightingagainsttheBritishinstitutionsandtheBritishmilitaryforces.OnesuchactivitywastheEasterRisingwhichtookplacein1916.therebelsoccupiedDublin’sPostOfficeandforcedtheBritishtotakeitbackbymilitaryforce.TheleadersoftherebellionwereexecutedbytheBritishauthorities.2.TheProvisionalIRAIn1919,agroupcallingitselftheIRAexpandedfightingforIrishfreedomandindependence.TheProvisionalIRAistheradicalfactionoftheIRA.TheyprefertheuseofforceandbelievethatarmedforceistheonlywaytogettheBritishoutandtohaveaunifiedIreland.3.SinnFeinSinnFeinisalegalpoliticalpartyinNorthernIrelandwhichsupportstheIRAtofightfortheunionofIreland.TheleadersofSinnFeinpreferunionwithIrelandbyatwincampaign,bothmilitaryandpoliticalwhichtheycallthepolicyof“theBulletandtheBallotBox”.ItbelievesthatwithouttheparticipationofSinnFeinthepoliticalproblemofNorthernIrelandcannotbethoroughlysolved.4.HomeRuleIrelandhadlongbeendominatedbyBritain,butIrishdesireforanindependentIrishstatewasneverlost.“HomeRule”referstoacampaignforIrishcontrolofIrishaffairs.TheHomeRuleBillwasfinallypassedin1914,buttheprocesswasovertakenbytheFirstWorldWarandwassuspendedforthedurationofthewar.5.TheGoodFridayAgreementAsaresultofmulti-partynegotiations,theGoodFridayAgreementwasapprovedon10April1998.ThisagreementassurestheloyalistcommunitythatNorthernIrelandremainspartoftheUnitedKingdomanditwon’tchangeitspoliticalstatusunlessthemajorityofthepeopleofNorthernIrelandagree.Underthetermsoftheagreement,NorthernIrelandshouldbegovernedbythreeseparatejurisdictions:thatoftheRepublicofIreland,thatofGreatBritainandthatofitsownelectedexecutivegovernmentoftenministers.Unit3TheBillofRightsof1689In1688,KingJamesII’sdaughterMaryandherhusbandWilliamwereinvitedbythepoliticiansandchurchauthoritiestotakethethrone,onconditionthattheywouldrespecttherightofParliament.TheBillofRightswaspassedin1689toensurethattheKingwouldneverbeabletoignoreParliament.TheConstitutionBritishhasnowrittenConstitution.ThefoundationsoftheBritishstatearelaidoutinstatutelaw,whicharelawspassedbyParliament;thecommonlaws,whicharelawsestablishedthroughcommonpracticeinthecourts;andconventions.ThefunctionsofParliamentThefunctionsofParliamentare:topasslaws,tovotefortaxation,toscrutinizegovernmentpolicy,administrationandexpenditureandtodebatethemajorissuesoftheday.TheHouseofLordsTheHouseofLordsconsistsoftheLordsSpiritual,whoaretheArchbishopsandmostprominentbishopsoftheChurchofEngland;andtheLordsTemporal,whichreferstothoselordswhoeitherhaveinheritedtheseatfromtheirforefathersortheyhavebeenappointed.Thelordsmainlyrepresentthemselvesinsteadoftheinterestsofthepublic.TheHouseofCommonsTheHouseofCommonsistherealcenterofBritishpoliticallifebecauseitistheplacewhereabout650electedrepresentativesmakeanddebatepolicy.TheseMPsareelectedintheGeneralElectionsandshouldrepresenttheinterestsofthepeoplewhovoteforthem.Unit4TheimportanceofgeneralelectionsGeneralelectionsareveryimportantinwesterndemocracy.Accordingtotheauthor,theyprovideopportunitiesforpeopletoinfluencefuturegovernmentpoliciesandtoreplacethoseincompetentpoliticalleaders.Theformationofthegovernment651membersofparliamentareelectedinthegeneralelectionrepresenting651constituenciesintheUK.Thepartywhichholdsamajorityofthose“seats”inparliamentformsthegovernment,withitspartyleaderasthePrimeMinister.TheelectoralcampaignsBeforeageneralelection,thepoliticalpartieswouldstarttheirelectoralcampaignsinordertomaketheirideologiesandpolitiesknowntothepublic.Thecampaigninvolvesadvertisementsinnewspapers,door-to-doorcampaigning,postaldeliveriesofleafletsand“partyelectoralbroadcast”onthetelevision.Thepartiesalsotrytoattackandcriticizetheopponents’policies.Therefore,thesecampaignssometimescanbequiteaggressiveandcritical.ClasssysteminBritishsocietyTheclasssystemdoesexistinBritishsociety.MostoftheBritishpopulationwouldclaimthemselvestobeeitherofmiddle-classorworking-class,thoughsomepeoplewouldactuallybelongtotheuppermiddle-classorlowermiddle-class.Classdivisionsarenotsimplyeconomic,theyarec