22.请阅读Passage 2,完成1～5小题。 　　Passage 2 　　The subj

[单选题]22.请阅读Passage 2,完成1～5小题。 　　Passage 2 　　The subject of ballads,books and films,Robin Hood has proven to be one of popular culture'smost enduring folk heroes.Over the course of 700 years,the outlaw from Nottinghamshire who robsthe rich to give to the poor has emerged as one of the most enduring folk heroes in popular culture-and one of the most versatile.But how has the legend of Sherwood Forest's merry outlaws evolvedover time? Did a real Robin Hood inspire these classic tales? 　　Beginning in the 15th century and perhaps even earlier,Christian revelers in certain partsof England celebrated May Day with plays and games involving a Robin Hood fgure with near-religious significance.In the 19th century,writer-illustrators like Howard Pyle adapted thetraditional tales for children,popularizing them in the United States and around the worlD.Morerecently,bringing Robin to the silver screen has become “a rite of passage” for directors ranging fromMichael Curtiz and Ridley Scott to Terry Gilliam and Mel Brooks. 　　Throughout Robin's existence,writers,performers and filmmakers have probed theirimaginations for new incarnations that resonate with their respective audiences.In 14th-century England,where agrarian discontent had begun to chip away at the feudal system,he appears as an anti-establishment rebel who murders government agents and wealthy landowners.later variationsfrom times ofless social upheaval dispense with the gore and cast Robin as a dispossessed aristocratwith a heart of gold and a love interest,Maid Marian. 　　Academics,meanwhile,have combed the historical record for evidence of a real Robin Hood.English legal records suggest that,as early as the 13th century,“Robehod,” “Rabunhod” and othervariations had become common epithets for criminals.But what had inspired these nicknames:afictional tale,an infamous bandit or an amalgam ofboth? The first literary references to Robin Hoodappear in a series of 14th- and 15th-century ballads about a violent yeoman who lived in SherwoodForest with his men and frequently clashed with the Sheriff of Nottingham.Rather than a peasant,knight or fallen noble,as in later versions,the protagonist of these medieval stories is a commoner.little John and Will Scarlet are part of this Robin's “merry” crew—eaning,at the time,anoutlaw's gang—but Maid Marian,Friar Tuck and Alan-a-Dale would not enter the legend until later,possibly as part of the May Day rituals. 　　While most contemporary scholars have failed to turn up solid clues,medieval chroniclers tookfor granted that a historical Robin Hood lived and breathed during the 12th or 13th century.Thedetails of their accounts vary widely,however,placing him in conflicting regions and eras.Not untilJohn Major's History of Greater Britain (1521),for example,is he depicted as a follower of KingRichard,one of his defining characteristics in modern times. 　　We may never know for sure whether Robin Hood ever existed outside the verses of balladsand pages of books.And even if we did,fans,young and old,would still surely fiock to England'sNottinghamshire region for a tour of the legend's alleged former hangouts,from centuries-old pubsto the Major oak in Sherwood Forest.What we do know is that the notion of a brave rebel wholives on the outskirts of society,fighting injustice and oppression with his band of companions,has universal appeal-whether he's played by Erroll Flynn,Russell Crowe or even,as on a 1979 episode of The Muppet Show,Kermit the Frog.

Which of the following has been a defining characteristics of Robin Hood since thesixteenth century according to the passage?

A. A religious celebrity.
B. A versatile aristocrat.
C. A supporter of King Richard.
D. A beloved robber in Nottingham.