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1、Anglo-Saxons : They were two groups of Germanic peoples who settled down in England from the 5 th century . They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England .Sinn Fein : Sinn Fein is a legal political party in Northern Ireland which supports the IRA to fight for the uni
2、on 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
3、solved . 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 affairs. The Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1914 , but the process was overtaken by the First World War and was suspended
4、 for the duration of the war .The Bill of Rights of 1689 : In 1689 , King James s daughter Mary and her husband William were invited by the politicians and church authorities to take the throne , on condition that they would respect the rights of Parliament . The Bill of Rights was passed in 1689 to
5、 ensure that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament.The functions of Parliament : The functions of Parliament are : to pass laws , to vote for taxation , to scrutinize government policy , administration and expenditure and to debate the major issues of the day .The House of Commons : The
6、House of Commons is the real centre of British political life because it is the place where about 650 elected representatives (Members of Parliament ) make and debate policy . These MPs are elected in the General Elections and should represent the interests of people who vote for them . The importan
7、ce of general elections : General elections are very important in western democracy . According to the author , they provide opportunities for people to influence future government policies and to replace those incompetent political leaders .Privatization in the 1980s : The British economy went thro
8、ugh a particularly bad period in the 1970s , with high rates of inflation and devaluation of the Pound . Therefore , in the 1980s , when the Conservative party under Margaret Thatcher was in power , an extensive programme of privatization was carried out . Many state-owned businesses (such as steel
9、, telecom , gas , aerospace ) were turned into private companies . Privatization was successful in controlling inflation but at the same time unemployment rate increased rapidly . Comprehensive schools : Comprehensive schools are the most popular secondary schools in Britain today . Such schools adm
10、it children without reference to their academic abilities and provide a general education . Pupils can study everything from academic subjects like literature to more practical subjects like cooking .The Open University : The Open University was founded in Britain in the 1960s for people who might n
11、ot get the opportunity for higher education for economic and social reasons . Its open to everybody and does not demand the same formal educational qualifications as the other universities . University courses are followed through TV , radio ,correspondence , videos and a net work of study centers .
12、 At the end of their studies at the Open University , successful students are awarded a university degree . Eisteddfod Wales has a long poetic tradition. Poems written in the traditional Welsh language and style are governed by ancient codes and convention . This poetic tradition has been celebrated
13、 for centuries in eisteddfod , a Welsh word meaning a gathering where people recite verses and sing songs . Wales had been controlled by the English for hundreds of years and so English became the national language . Speaking Welsh was seen as a bad thing .The Welsh language began to die , but Welsh
14、 speaker fought hard to preserve it . One way they accomplished this was to celebrate their culture and their language each August with a really large Eisteddfod which would remind people throughout the UK of Wales special culture heritage .The Eisteddfod is now the largest popular festival of music making and poetry writing in Europe .The Great Famine The
