IELTS Cambridge 19 _ Test 1 _ Reading Passage 1: How tennis rackets have changed _ Vocabulary

How tennis rackets have changed

In 2016, the British professional tennis player Andy Murray was ranked as the world’s number one. It was an incredible achievement by any standard – made even more remarkable by the fact that he did this during a period considered to be one of the strongest in the sport’s history, competing against the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, to name just a few. Yet five years previously, he had been regarded as a talented outsider who entered but never won the major tournaments. (Q1)

Of the changes that account for this transformation, one was visible and widely publicised: in 2011, Murray invited former number one player Ivan Lendl onto his coaching team – a valuable addition that had a visible impact on the player’s playing style. Another change was so subtle as to pass more or less unnoticed. Like many players, Murray has long preferred a racket that consists of two types of string: one for the mains (verticals) and another for the crosses (horizontals). While he continued to use natural string in the crosses, in 2012 he switched to a synthetic string for the mains. A small change, perhaps, but its importance should not be underestimated. (Q2) 

The modification that Murray made is just one of a number of options available to players looking to tweak their rackets in order to improve their games. ‘Touring professionals have their rackets customised to their specific needs,’ says Colin Triplow, a UK-based professional racket stringer. ‘It’s a highly important part of performance maximisation.’ Consequently, the specific rackets used by the world’s elite are not actually readily available to the public; rather, each racket is individually made to suit the player who uses it. Take the US professional tennis players Mike and Bob Bryan, for example: ‘We’re very particular with our racket specifications,’ they say. ‘All our rackets are sent from our manufacturer to Tampa, Florida, where our frames go through a . . . thorough customisation process.’ They explain how they have adjusted not only racket length, but even experimented with different kinds of paint. (Q8)  The rackets they use now weigh more than the average model and also have a denser string pattern (i.e. more crosses and mains). (Q4)

The primary reason for these modifications is simple: as the line between winning and losing becomes thinner and thinner, even these slight changes become more and more important. As a result, players and their teams are becoming increasingly creative with the modifications to their rackets as they look to maximise their competitive advantage.

Racket modifications mainly date back to the 1970s, when the amateur German tennis player Werner Fischer started playing with the so-called spaghetti-strung racket. (Q5)  It created a string bed that generated so much topspin that it was quickly banned by the International Tennis Federation. (Q9)  However, within a decade or two, racket modification became a regularity. Today it is, in many ways, an aspect of the game that is equal in significance to nutrition or training. (Q10)

Modifications can be divided into two categories: those to the string bed and those to the racket frame. The former is far more common than the latter: the choice of the strings and the tension with which they are installed is something that nearly all professional players experiment with. They will continually change it depending on various factors including the court surface, climatic conditions, and game styles. (Q6) Some will even change it depending on how they feel at the time.

At one time, all tennis rackets were strung with natural gut made from the outer layer of sheep or cow intestines. (Q11) This all changed in the early 1990s with the development of synthetic strings that were cheaper and more durable. They are made from three materials: nylon (relatively durable and affordable), Kevlar (too stiff to be used alone) or co-polyester (polyester combined with additives that enhance its performance). Even so, many professional players continue to use a ‘hybrid set-up’, where a combination of both synthetic and natural strings are used.

Of the synthetics, co-polyester is by far the most widely used. It’s a perfect fit for the style of tennis now played, where players tend to battle it out from the back of the court rather than coming to the net. Studies indicate that the average spin from a co-polyester string is 25% greater than that from natural string or other synthetics. In a sense, the development of co-polyester strings has revolutionised the game.

However, many players go beyond these basic adjustments to the strings and make changes to the racket frame itself. For example, much of the serving power of US professional player Pete Sampras was attributed to the addition of four to five lead weights onto his rackets (Q12), and today many professionals have the weight adjusted during the manufacturing process. (Q7)

Other changes to the frame involve the handle. Players have individual preferences for the shape of the handle and some will have the handle of one racket moulded onto the frame of a different racket. Other players make different changes. The professional Portuguese player Gonçalo Oliveira replaced the original grips of his rackets with something thinner because they had previously felt uncomfortable to hold. (Q13)

Racket customisation and modification have pushed the standards of the game to greater levels that few could have anticipated in the days of natural strings and heavy, wooden frames, and it’s exciting to see what further developments there will be in the future.

Number

Phrase

Transcription

Meaning in Vietnamese

1

tennis racket

/ˈtɛnɪs ˈrækɪt/

vợt tennis

2

an incredible achievement

/ən ɪnˈkrɛdɪbəl əˈʧivmənt/

một thành tựu đáng kinh ngạc

3

to name just a few

/tu neɪm ʤʌst ə fju/

để nêu tên một vài

4

a talented outsider

/ə ˈtæləntɪd ˈaʊtˌsaɪdər/

một người ngoài tài năng

5

major tournament

/ˈmeɪʤər ˈtʊrnəmənt/

giải đấu lớn

6

to account for the transformation

/tu əˈkaʊnt fɔr ðə ˌtrænsfərˈmeɪʃən/

để giải thích cho sự thay đổi

7

visible

/ˈvɪzəbl/

có thể thấy được

8

widely publicised

/ˈwaɪdli ˈpʌblɪˌsaɪzd/

được công bố rộng rãi

9

former number one player

/ˈfɔrmər ˈnʌmbər wʌn ˈpleɪər/

cựu tay vợt số một

10

coaching team

/ˈkoʊʧɪŋ tim/

đội huấn luyện

11

a visible impact

/ə ˈvɪzəbl ˈɪmpækt/

một ảnh hưởng rõ rệt

12

playing style

/ˈpleɪɪŋ staɪl/

phong cách chơi

13

subtle

/ˈsʌtl/

tinh tế

14

unnoticed

/ʌnˈnoʊtɪst/

không được chú ý

15

string

/strɪŋ/

dây vợt

16

the mains

/ðə meɪnz/

dây dọc

17

verticals

/ˈvɜrtɪkəlz/

các dây dọc

18

the crosses

/ðə ˈkrɔsɪz/

dây ngang

19

horizontals

/ˌhɔrəˈzɑntəlz/

các dây ngang

20

natural string

/ˈnæʧərəl strɪŋ/

dây tự nhiên

21

a synthetic string

/ə sɪnˈθɛtɪk strɪŋ/

dây tổng hợp

22

underestimate

/ˌʌndərˈɛstəˌmeɪt/

đánh giá thấp

23

make a modification

/meɪk ə ˌmɑdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

thực hiện một sự điều chỉnh

24

to tweak the racket

/tu twik ðə ˈrækɪt/

để tinh chỉnh cây vợt

25

touring professionals

/ˈtʊrɪŋ prəˈfɛʃənəlz/

các chuyên gia đi du đấu

26

rackets customised to specific needs

/ˈrækɪts ˈkʌstəˌmaɪzd tu spəˈsɪfɪk nidz/

vợt được tùy chỉnh theo nhu cầu cụ thể

27

professional racket stringer

/prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈrækɪt ˈstrɪŋər/

người căng dây vợt chuyên nghiệp

28

performance maximisation

/pərˈfɔrməns ˌmæksɪˌmaɪˈzeɪʃən/

tối đa hóa hiệu suất

29

the world's elite

/ðə wɜrldz ɪˈlit/

những người ưu tú của thế giới

30

racket specification

/ˈrækɪt ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

thông số kỹ thuật của vợt

31

customisation process

/ˌkʌstəˌmaɪˈzeɪʃən ˈprɑˌsɛs/

quy trình tùy chỉnh

32

racket length

/ˈrækɪt lɛŋkθ/

chiều dài vợt

33

a denser string pattern

/ə ˈdɛnsər strɪŋ ˈpætərn/

một mẫu dây dày đặc hơn

34

maximise competitive advantage

/ˈmæksɪˌmaɪz kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv ædˈvæntɪʤ/

tối đa hóa lợi thế cạnh tranh

35

racket modification

/ˈrækɪt ˌmɑdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

điều chỉnh vợt

36

spaghetti-strung racket

/spəˈɡɛti strʌŋ ˈrækɪt/

vợt dây kiểu spaghetti

37

topspin

/ˈtɑpˌspɪn/

cú xoáy lên

38

a regularity

/ə ˌrɛɡjəˈlɛrɪti/

một sự đều đặn

39

the string bed

/ðə strɪŋ bɛd/

mặt dây vợt

40

the racket frame

/ðə ˈrækɪt freɪm/

khung vợt

41

court surface

/kɔrt ˈsɜrfɪs/

bề mặt sân

42

climatic condition

/klaɪˈmætɪk kənˈdɪʃən/

điều kiện khí hậu

43

game style

/ɡeɪm staɪl/

phong cách chơi

44

natural gut

/ˈnæʧərəl ɡʌt/

dây ruột tự nhiên

45

sheep or cow intestines

/ʃip ɔr kaʊ ɪnˈtɛstɪnz/

ruột cừu hoặc bò

46

more durable

/mɔr ˈdʊrəbl/

bền hơn

47

nylon

/ˈnaɪˌlɑn/

sợi nylon

48

stiff

/stɪf/

cứng

49

co-polyester

/koʊ ˈpɑliˌɛstər/

sợi đồng polyester

50

hybrid set-up

/ˈhaɪbrɪd ˈsɛtʌp/

bố trí kết hợp

51

the average spin

/ði ˈævərɪʤ spɪn/

vòng xoáy trung bình

52

in a sense

/ɪn ə sɛns/

theo một nghĩa

53

revolutionise the game

/ˌrɛvəˈluʃəˌnaɪz ðə ɡeɪm/

cách mạng hóa trò chơi

54

the serving power

/ðə ˈsɜrvɪŋ ˈpaʊər/

sức mạnh giao bóng

55

to be attributed to

/tu bi əˈtrɪbjətɪd tu/

được gán cho

56

lead weights

/lid weɪts/

tạ chì

57

the original grips of rackets

/ði əˈrɪʤənəl ɡrɪps əv ˈrækɪts/

cán gốc của vợt

58

agriculture and mining industries

/ˈæɡrəˌkʌlʧər ənd ˈmaɪnɪŋ ˈɪndəstriz/

ngành nông nghiệp và khai thác

59

grain ships

/ɡreɪn ʃɪps/

tàu chở ngũ cốc

60

demanding punishment of the culprits

/dɪˈmændɪŋ ˈpʌnɪʃmənt əv ðə ˈkʌlprɪts/

yêu cầu trừng phạt các thủ phạm

61

emboldened pirates

/ɛmˈboʊldənd ˈpaɪrəts/

những tên cướp biển được khuyến khích

62

kidnap

/ˈkɪdnæp/

bắt cóc

63

prominent Roman dignitaries

/ˈprɑmənənt ˈroʊmən ˈdɪɡnɪˌtɛriz/

các chức sắc La Mã nổi bật

64

a large ransom

/ə lɑrʤ ˈrænsəm/

một khoản tiền chuộc lớn

65

the most famous hostage

/ðə moʊst ˈfeɪməs ˈhɑstɪʤ/

con tin nổi tiếng nhất

66

pirates had outlived their usefulness

/ˈpaɪrəts hæd aʊtˌlɪvd ðɛr ˈjusfʊlnɪs/

cướp biển đã qua thời kỳ hữu ích của họ

67

concerted action

/kənˈsɜrtɪd ˈækʃən/

hành động phối hợp

68

the Mediterranean menace

/ðə ˌmɛdɪtəˈreɪniən ˈmɛnɪs/

mối đe dọa Địa Trung Hải

69

commander

/kəˈmændər/

chỉ huy

Bài viết cùng danh mục