2024剑桥雅思讲义Matching_Names_Questions_Strategy_Practice.docx

IELTSADVANTAGEMatchingNamesQuestionsStrategyPracticeApottedhistoryofsnookerTheoriginofsnookerdatesbacktothelatterhalfofthe19thcentury.Inthe1870s,billiardswasapopularactivityamongBritishArmyofficersstationedinIndia,andseveralvariationsofthegameweredevisedduringthistime.Onevariationthatoriginatedattheofficers'messofthe11thDevonshireRegimentin1875combinedtherulesoftwopocketbilliardsgames:pyramidandblackpool.Theformerwasplayedwithfifteenredcolouredballspositionedinatriangle,whilethelatterinvolvedthepottingofdesignatedballs.Thegamewasdevelopedin1884whenitsfirstsetofruleswasfinalisedbySirNevilleChamberlain,anEnglisharmyofficerwhohelpeddevelopandpopularisethegameatStoneHouseinOoty(Ootacamund)onatablebuiltbyBurroughes&Wattsthatwasbroughtoverbyboat.Thewordsnookerwasaslangtermforfirst-yearcadetsandinexperiencedmilitarypersonnel,butChamberlainwouldoftenuseitfortheperformanceofoneofhisfellowofficersatthetable.In1887,snookerwasgivenitsfirstdefinitereferenceinEnglandinacopyofSportingLifewhichcausedagrowthinpopularity.Chamberlaincameoutasthegame'sinventorinalettertoTheFieldpublishedon19March1938,63yearsafterthefact.In1927thefirstWorldSnookerChampionshipwasorganisedbyJoeDavis.Davis,asaprofessionalEnglishbilliardsandsnookerplayer,movedthegamefromapastimetoaprofessionalactivity.Daviswoneveryworldchampionshipuntil1946,whenheretiredfromthechampionships.Thegamewentintoadeclinethroughthe1950sand1960swithlittleinterestgeneratedoutsideofthosewhoplayed.In1959,Davisintroducedavariationofthegameknownas"SnookerPlus'*totrytoimprovethegame,spopularitybyaddingtwoextracolours,butthisfailedtogaininterest.In1969,DavidAttenboroughcommissionedthesnookertelevisionseriesPotBlacktodemonstratethepotentialofcolourtelevision,withthegreentableandmulti-colouredballsbeingidealforshowingofftheadvantagesofcolourbroadcasting.Theseriesbecamearatingssuccessandwasforatimethesecond-mostpopularshowonBBC2.Interestinthegameincreasedandthe1978WorldSnookerChampionshipwasthefirsttobefullytelevised.ThegamequicklybecameamainstreamgameintheUnitedKingdom,IrelandandmuchoftheCommonwealth,andhasenjoyedmuchsuccesssincethelate1970s,withmostoftherankingtournamentsbeingtelevised.Bythe1985WorldSnookerChampionship,atotalof18.5millionviewerswatchedtheconcludingframeofthefinalbetweenDennisTaylorandSteveDavis,arecordviewershipfortheUnitedKingdomforanybroadcastaftermidnight.Intheearly2000s,abanontobaccoadvertisingledtoaIELTSADVANTAGEMatchingNamesQuestionsStrategyPracticedecreaseinthenumberofprofessionaltournaments,withprofessionaltournamentsbeingcuttoonly15eventsin2003,from22in1999.However,theincreasingpopularityofthegameinAsia,withexcitingemergingtalentssuchasLiangWenboandmoreestablishedplayerssuchasDingJunhuiandMarcoFu,boostedthesportintheFarEast.By2007,theBBCdedicated400hourstosnookercoverage,comparedtojust14minutes40yearsearlier.In2010,promoterBarryHearngainedacontrollinginterestinWorldSnookerLtd.andtheWorldSnookerTour,pledgingtorevitalisethe"moribund"professionalgame.Sincethistime,thenumberofprofessionaltournamentshasincreased,with44eventsinthe2019/20season.Eventshavealsobeenmadetobemoresuitablefortelevisionbroadcasts,suchastheSnookerShoot-Out,atimed,one-frametournament.Prizemoneyforprofessionaleventshasalsoincreased,withtopplayersmakingseveralmillionpoundsduringtheircareers.IntheprofessionalerathatbeganwithJoeDavisinthe1930sandcontinuesuntilthepresentday,arelativelysmallnumberofplayershavesucceededatthetoplevel.JoeDaviswasworldchampionfortwentyyears,retiringunbeatenafterclaiminghisfifteenthworldtitlein1946whenthetournamentwasreinstatedaftertheSecondWorldWar.DaviswasunbeateninWorldChampionshipplay,andwasonlyeverbeatenfourtimesinhisentirelife,withallfourdefeatscomingafterhisWorldChampionshipretirementandinflictedbyhisownbrotherFredDavis.Hedidlosematchesinhandicappedtournaments,butonleveltermsthesefourdefeatsweretheonlylossesofhisentirecareer.Hewasalsoworldbilliardschampion.Itisregardedashighlyunlikelythatanyonewilleverdominatethegametothislevelagain.AfterDavisretiredfromWorldChampionshipplay,thenextdominantforcewashisyoungerbrotherFredDavis,whohadlostthe1940finaltoJoe.By1947,FredDaviswasdeemedreadybyhisbrothertotakeoverthemantle,butlosttheworldfinaltotheScotsmanWalterDonaldson.DavisandDonaldsonwouldcontestthenextfourfinals.AftertheabandonmentoftheWorldChampionshipin1953,withthe1952finalboycottedbyBritishprofessionals,theWorldProfessionalMatch-playChampionshipbecametheunofficialworldchampionship.FredDaviswontheeventeveryyearuntilitspenultimateone,in1957,whichhedidnotenter.JohnPulmanwasthemostsuccessfulplayerofthe1960s,whentheworldchampionshipwascontestedonachallengebasis.However,whenthetournamentrevertedtoaknockoutformulain1969,hedidnotprosper.RayReardonbecameIELTSadvantageMatChingNamesQuestionsStrategyPracticethedominantforceinthe1970s,winningsixtitles(1970,1973-1976and1978),withJohnSpencerwinningthree.SteveDavis,firstworldtitlein1981madehimonlythe11thworldchampionsince1927,includingthewinneroftheboycotted1952title,HoraceLindrum.Davi