成年人的读写算数能力在下降

你比十岁的孩子更聪明吗？新数据表明，富裕国家中相当大部分的成年人可能并不是。

双语精读

Are adults forgetting how to read?

成年人正忘记如何阅读吗？

Are you smarter than a ten-year-old? New data suggest that a shockingly large portion of adults in the rich world might not be.

你比十岁的孩子更聪明吗？新数据表明，富裕国家中相当大部分的成年人可能并不是。

Roughly one-fifth of people aged 16 to 65 perform no better in tests of maths and reading than would be expected of a pupil coming to the end of their time at primary school, according to a study released on December 10th by the OECD, a club of mostly rich countries.

根据经济合作与发展组织（主要由富裕国家组成的集团）于12月10日发布的一项研究，在16岁至65岁的人群中，大约有五分之一的人在数学和阅读测试中的表现并不比将小学毕业的学生更好。

Worse still, adults in many places have grown less literate over the past ten years.

更糟糕的是，在过去十年里，许多地方的成年人的读写能力变得更差了。

The OECD's "Survey of Adult Skills" is carried out only once a decade. The researchers arranged for 160,000 adults in 31 countries and regions to sit short tests in numeracy, literacy and problem-solving.

经合组织的“成人技能调查”每十年才进行一次。研究人员安排31个国家和地区的16万名成年人参加算术、读写、解决问题的简短测试。

These aim to gauge if they have the skills to hold down a job, participate in civic life and generally thrive in the real world. At their most basic, they find out how well people can make sense of the warnings on the back of an aspirin packet, or work out how much wallpaper is needed to cover a room.

这些测试旨在衡量他们是否具备保住工作、参与公民生活、在现实世界中好好生活的技能。在最基本的层面，测试会发现人们对阿司匹林包装盒背面的警告语理解程度如何，或者对于一个房间需要贴多少墙纸的计算能力如何。

At more advanced levels, they explore how well people can draw sound conclusions from analysis and charts of the sort one might stumble across in, say, a popular current-affairs magazine.

在更高级的层面上，测试探索对于人们可能在流行时事杂志中偶然看到的那种分析和图表，人们从中推断出正确结论的能力如何。

Finland will rejoice at the results: it posts the highest average score in all three fields. People in the Netherlands, Norway and Japan, who performed better than average across the disciplines, will also be pleased.

芬兰将为测试结果感到高兴：该国在所有三个领域都获得了最高的平均分。荷兰、挪威、日本也会感到高兴，这三国在各个学科上的表现都优于平均水平。

England has risen up the league table in the ten years since the tests were last run, owing to better performances among young adults. By contrast, America's results are heading south.

英国自十年前上次测试以来排名有所上升，这是由于年轻成年人表现更好。相反，美国的成绩正在下降。

Similarly, Chile, Italy, Poland and Portugal all boast a high share of people who score below the norm. Almost half of Chileans score badly enough to place in the bottom two categories in both maths and reading, compared with just 8% of Japanese people.

同样地，智利、意大利、波兰、葡萄牙都有很高比例的人得分低于正常水平。几乎一半的智利人在数学和阅读方面的得分都很差，排名为最末的两档，而日本人的比例只有8%。

Zoom out, and the picture is one of worsening basic skills. For almost every country that has seen its score in numeracy rise significantly over the past ten years, there is another that has seen its score fall.

放眼全局，就能看到基本技能下降的图景。在过去十年中，每有一个在算术方面得分显著提高的国家，几乎就有一个得分下降的国家。

When it comes to literacy, countries with falling scores outnumber those making significant progress. This is the case even though more people are completing secondary school, and many more are getting degrees.

对于读写能力，分数下降的国家数量超过了取得显著进步的国家数量。尽管有更多人完成了中学学业，还有更多人获得了大学学位，但情况依旧是这样。

词汇预习

current [高考]
美[ˈkɜːrənt] | 英[ˈkʌrənt]
n. 趋势；(水、气、电)流
adj. 现在的；流通的
significant [高考]
美[sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt] | 英[sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt]
adj. 重要的；有意义的；意味深长的；显著的
contrast [高考]
美[ˈkɑːntræst , kənˈtræst] | 英[ˈkɒntrɑːst , kənˈtrɑːst]
n. 对比；差别；对照物
v. 对比；成对照
n. [计算机] 反差
secondary [高考]
美[ˈsekənderi] | 英[ˈsekəndri]
adj. 次要的；从属的；中等教育的
n. 副手；次要位置
significantly [高考]
美[sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli] | 英[sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli]
adv. 意味深长地；意义深远地；重要地；较大地
literacy [高考]
美[ˈlɪtərəsi] | 英[ˈlɪtərəsi]
n. 识字；读写能力；文化，教养
boast [高考]
美[boʊst] | 英[bəʊst]
v. 自夸；吹牛；以...为荣
n. 自夸；引以为荣的事物
portion [高考]
美[ˈpɔːrʃn] | 英[ˈpɔːʃn]
n. 部分；命运；分担的责任；份
v. 分配；命运注定
stumble [高考]
美[ˈstʌmbl] | 英[ˈstʌmbl]
v. 绊倒；蹒跚；犯错误；无意中发现
n. 绊倒；错误
literate [高考]
美[ˈlɪtərət] | 英[ˈlɪtərət]
n. 识字的人；受过教育的人；博学的人
adj. 有读写能力的；博学的；优美的；精通文学的
thrive [高考]
美[θraɪv] | 英[θraɪv]
vi. 兴旺；繁荣；茁壮成长
data [高考]
美[ˈdeɪtə] | 英[ˈdeɪtə]
n. 数据；资料
decade [高考]
美[ˈdekeɪd] | 英[ˈdekeɪd]
n. 十年，十年间，十年期（尤指一个年代)
analysis [高考]
美[əˈnæləsɪs] | 英[əˈnæləsɪs]
n. 分析；解析
participate [高考]
美[pɑːrˈtɪsɪpeɪt] | 英[pɑːˈtɪsɪpeɪt]
vi. 参加；参与
make sense [高考]
美[meɪk sens] | 英[meɪk sens]
讲得通；有意义；言之有理
participate in [高考]
美[pɑrˈtɪsəˌpet ɪn] | 英[pɑ:ˈtisipeit in]
参与；参加
primary school [高考]
美['praɪˌmeriː skʊl] | 英['praɪmərɪ skuːl]
n.小学，初等学校;参见：elementary school
outnumber [高考]
美[ˌaʊtˈnʌmbər] | 英[ˌaʊtˈnʌmbə(r)]
v. 数量上超过
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
pleased [高考]
美[pliːzd] | 英[pliːzd]
adj. 高兴的，开心的，乐意的
gauge [四级]
美[ɡeɪdʒ] | 英[ɡeɪdʒ]
n. 测量仪器；测量标准；（铁道的）轨距；（钢丝等的）直径；（枪管的）口径
v. 估计；判断；测量
rejoice [四级]
美[rɪˈdʒɔɪs] | 英[rɪˈdʒɔɪs]
v. （使）高兴；（使）欢喜
aspirin [四级]
美[ˈæsprɪn] | 英[ˈæsprɪn]
n. 阿斯匹林
norm [四级]
美[nɔːrm] | 英[nɔːm]
n. 规范；标准
shockingly [四级]
美['ʃɒkɪŋlɪ] | 英['ʃɒkɪŋlɪ]
adv. 恶劣地；极端地
back of [四级]
美[bæk ʌv] | 英[bæk ɔv]
在 ... 后部；在 ... 背部
hold down [四级]
美[hold daʊn] | 英[həuld daun]
维持；压制；压缩；工作，顺利地工作
owing to [四级]
美[ˈoɪŋ tu] | 英[ˈəuiŋ tu:]
由于；因为
advanced [四级]
美[ədˈvænst] | 英[ədˈvɑːnst]
adj. 先进的；高级的
packet [四级]
美[ˈpækɪt] | 英[ˈpækɪt]
n. 小袋；邮船；数据包
heading [六级]
美[ˈhedɪŋ] | 英[ˈhedɪŋ]
n. 标题；题目；航向
owing [专四]
美[ˈoʊɪŋ] | 英[ˈəʊɪŋ]
adj. 未付的；归因于…的
according [专四]
美[ə'kɔrdɪŋ] | 英[ə'kɔːdɪŋ]
adj. 相符的；相应的；一致的
v. 给予；符合，一致；正式协议（accord的现在分词）
grown [专八]
美[groʊn] | 英[grəʊn]
adj. 长大的；成年的；长满某物的
wallpaper [考研]
美[ˈwɔlˌpepɚ] | 英[ˈwɔ:lpeɪpə(r)]
n. 壁纸；墙纸（电脑屏幕图案）
v. 贴壁纸；添加墙纸

重点讲解

Are adults forgetting how to read?

成年人正忘记如何阅读吗？

expect sth of sb 对某人有某种预期

【例】I didn’t expect such behavior of you.

我没想到你会有这种行为。

We expect more of you.

我们对你有更大的期望。

Are you smarter than a ten-year-old? New data suggest that a shockingly large portion of adults in the rich world might not be.

你比十岁的孩子更聪明吗？新数据表明，富裕国家中相当大部分的成年人可能并不是。

expect sth of sb 对某人有某种预期

【例】I didn’t expect such behavior of you.

我没想到你会有这种行为。

We expect more of you.

我们对你有更大的期望。

Roughly one-fifth of people aged 16 to 65 perform no better in tests of maths and reading than would be expected of a pupil coming to the end of their time at primary school, according to a study released on December 10th by the OECD, a club of mostly rich countries.

根据经济合作与发展组织（主要由富裕国家组成的集团）于12月10日发布的一项研究，在16岁至65岁的人群中，大约有五分之一的人在数学和阅读测试中的表现并不比将小学毕业的学生更好。

expect sth of sb 对某人有某种预期

【例】I didn’t expect such behavior of you.

我没想到你会有这种行为。

We expect more of you.

我们对你有更大的期望。

Worse still, adults in many places have grown less literate over the past ten years.

更糟糕的是，在过去十年里，许多地方的成年人的读写能力变得更差了。

literate adj.

1. 识字的；会读写的

【例】The children are literate.

这些孩子都识字。

2. 有文化的；精通的

【例】a computer-literate person

一个懂电脑的人

【拓展】literacy n. 读写能力；修养；素养

【例】financial literacy 金融知识

【反义词】illiterate adj./n. 不识字的/文盲

sit a test 参加考试

【例】Candidates will sit the examinations in June.

考生将在六月参加考试。

【拓展】sit in on 旁听

【例】to sit in on a course/meeting 旁听一门课/一场会议

【拓展】sit out 坐在一旁不参加

【例】I'll sit out the next round of game.

下一轮游戏我不玩了。

numeracy n. 算术；计算能力

【例】literacy and numeracy 读写和算术能力

【拓展】numerate adj. 会算数的

number n. 数字

numerous adj. 许多的

The OECD’s “Survey of Adult Skills” is carried out only once a decade. The researchers arranged for 160,000 adults in 31 countries and regions to sit short tests in numeracy, literacy and problem-solving.

经合组织的“成人技能调查”每十年才进行一次。研究人员安排31个国家和地区的16万名成年人参加算术、读写、解决问题的简短测试。

literate adj.

1. 识字的；会读写的

【例】The children are literate.

这些孩子都识字。

2. 有文化的；精通的

【例】a computer-literate person

一个懂电脑的人

【拓展】literacy n. 读写能力；修养；素养

【例】financial literacy 金融知识

【反义词】illiterate adj./n. 不识字的/文盲

sit a test 参加考试

【例】Candidates will sit the examinations in June.

考生将在六月参加考试。

【拓展】sit in on 旁听

【例】to sit in on a course/meeting 旁听一门课/一场会议

【拓展】sit out 坐在一旁不参加

【例】I'll sit out the next round of game.

下一轮游戏我不玩了。

numeracy n. 算术；计算能力

【例】literacy and numeracy 读写和算术能力

【拓展】numerate adj. 会算数的

number n. 数字

numerous adj. 许多的

These aim to gauge if they have the skills to hold down a job, participate in civic life and generally thrive in the real world. At their most basic, they find out how well people can make sense of the warnings on the back of an aspirin packet, or work out how much wallpaper is needed to cover a room.

这些测试旨在衡量他们是否具备保住工作、参与公民生活、在现实世界中好好生活的技能。在最基本的层面，测试会发现人们对阿司匹林包装盒背面的警告语理解程度如何，或者对于一个房间需要贴多少墙纸的计算能力如何。

gauge v. 测量；判断

【例】He tried to gauge her mood.

他试图揣摩她的心情。

【近义词】measure/judge v. 测量；判断

At more advanced levels, they explore how well people can draw sound conclusions from analysis and charts of the sort one might stumble across in, say, a popular current-affairs magazine.

在更高级的层面上，测试探索对于人们可能在流行时事杂志中偶然看到的那种分析和图表，人们从中推断出正确结论的能力如何。

stumble across/on 意外发现；偶然遇见

【例】I stumbled across my former colleague in the party.

我在派对上意外遇见了我的前同事。

【近义词】come across/run into 意外发现；偶然遇见

芬兰将为测试结果感到高兴：该国在所有三个领域都获得了最高的平均分。荷兰、挪威、日本也会感到高兴，这三国在各个学科上的表现都优于平均水平。

league n. 等级；级别

【例】When it comes to cooking, I'm not in her league.

我的烹饪水平跟她不是一个级别的/我远比不上她。

You like her? But she is out of your league.

你喜欢她？但她不是你能配得上的。

head south 朝南走；走下坡路

【例】The company's profits began to head south.

公司的利润开始下滑。

【拓展】be south of 少于；低于

【例】The revenues are just south of $1 billion.

收益仅略低于10亿美元。

England has risen up the league table in the ten years since the tests were last run, owing to better performances among young adults. By contrast, America’s results are heading south.

英国自十年前上次测试以来排名有所上升，这是由于年轻成年人表现更好。相反，美国的成绩正在下降。

league n. 等级；级别

【例】When it comes to cooking, I'm not in her league.

我的烹饪水平跟她不是一个级别的/我远比不上她。

You like her? But she is out of your league.

你喜欢她？但她不是你能配得上的。

head south 朝南走；走下坡路

【例】The company's profits began to head south.

公司的利润开始下滑。

【拓展】be south of 少于；低于

【例】The revenues are just south of $1 billion.

收益仅略低于10亿美元。

Similarly, Chile, Italy, Poland and Portugal all boast a high share of people who score below the norm. Almost half of Chileans score badly enough to place in the bottom two categories in both maths and reading, compared with just 8% of Japanese people.

同样地，智利、意大利、波兰、葡萄牙都有很高比例的人得分低于正常水平。几乎一半的智利人在数学和阅读方面的得分都很差，排名为最末的两档，而日本人的比例只有8%。

place v. 获得名次

【例】He placed fifth in the race.

他在田径比赛中排名第五。

【近义词】finish v. 获得名次

【例】He finished fifth in the race.

他在田径比赛中排名第五。

Zoom out, and the picture is one of worsening basic skills. For almost every country that has seen its score in numeracy rise significantly over the past ten years, there is another that has seen its score fall.

放眼全局，就能看到基本技能下降的图景。在过去十年中，每有一个在算术方面得分显著提高的国家，几乎就有一个得分下降的国家。

zoom out 镜头拉远；画面缩小

【例】The camera zoomed out to show a panorama of the campus.

镜头拉远，展现了校园的全貌。

Pinch the screen to zoom out the picture.

两指捏屏幕，缩小图片。

【反义词】zoom in 镜头推进；画面放大

对于读写能力，分数下降的国家数量超过了取得显著进步的国家数量。尽管有更多人完成了中学学业，还有更多人获得了大学学位，但情况依旧是这样。

zoom out 镜头拉远；画面缩小

【例】The camera zoomed out to show a panorama of the campus.

镜头拉远，展现了校园的全貌。

Pinch the screen to zoom out the picture.

两指捏屏幕，缩小图片。

【反义词】zoom in 镜头推进；画面放大

课后练习

What does the OECD data show?
A. Adults in rich countries are smarter than ten-year-old pupils.
B. About one-fifth of adults in rich countries show poor basic skills.
C. Primary school students in rich countries are good at maths and reading.
D. Primary school students in rich countries are smarter than the last generation.
The OECD's tests aim to find out ____.
A. how well adults can remember the knowledge they learned in primary school
B. whether adults have the skills to function in their daily lives and in society
C. how to teach numeracy and problem-solving skills in everyday scenario
D. how many adults have the competence to conduct scientific research
What can be learned from the results of the tests?
A. America's results are improving steadily.
B. Young adults in England rank among the top.
C. Japan posts lower scores than Chile in maths and reading.
D. A large share of Chileans perform worse than the average.
What is the overall performance of adults?
A. The overall performance of adults is improving as more people are getting degrees.
B. There are more countries making progress than those experiencing decline.
C. The general performance in literacy and numeracy is deteriorating.
D. The overall performance in literacy is poorer than in numeracy.