双语新闻：美国大学入学考试分数降至30年来最低

American high school students' scores on the ACT college admissions test have dropped to their lowest in more than 30 years.

美国高中生在大学入学考试ACT中的分数降至30多年来的最低水平。

The average score of students who completed high school in 2023 was 19.5 out of a possible 36. Last year, students averaged 19.8.

2023年高中毕业的学生平均成绩为19.5分(满分36分)。去年，学生平均成绩为19.8分。

The average score dropped for the sixth straight year.

平均分数连续第六年下降。

Scores were already falling before the COVID-19 pandemic. But the scores fell faster during and after the pandemic period.

在COVID-19大流行之前，得分就已经在下降。但在大流行期间和之后，分数下降得更快。

The students who took the test in 2023 were in their first year of high school when COVID-19 reached the United States.

2023年参加考试的学生在新冠病毒到达美国时正在上高中一年级。

Janet Godwin leads ACT, the nonprofit organization that administers the test. She said that high schools are "not doing enough to ensure that graduates are truly ready for postsecondary success in college and career."

珍妮特·戈德温是管理该考试的非营利组织ACT的负责人。她说，高中“在确保毕业生真正为大学和职业生涯的成功做好准备方面做得不够。”

The average scores in reading, math and science were all below the level that ACT says demonstrates a good chance of succeeding in first-year college courses. The average score in English was just above the "benchmark" level, but it was still lower than in 2022.

阅读、数学和科学的平均分数都低于ACT所说的在大学一年级课程中取得成功的好机会的水平。英语的平均分数略高于“基准”水平，但仍低于2022年的水平。

The falling scores come at the same time many colleges and universities established admissions policies that do not require the test. However, students are welcome to provide the scores if they wish.

与此同时，许多学院和大学制定了不需要考试的招生政策。但是，如果学生愿意，欢迎学生提供分数。

Some universities do not look at test scores even if students send them in. College admission tests have been criticized for favoring students who come from wealthier families and schools.

有些大学即使学生提交了考试成绩，也不考虑考试成绩。大学入学考试一直被批评偏袒来自富裕家庭和学校的学生。

Godwin, however, said the test scores from her organization still help universities place students in the proper classes.

然而，戈德温说，她的组织的考试成绩仍然可以帮助大学将学生安排到合适的班级。

"Even in a test-optional environment, these kinds of objective test scores about academic readiness are incredibly important," she said.

她说:“即使在一个可选择考试的环境中，这些关于学业准备的客观考试成绩也非常重要。”

Some current high school students wonder why the tests are necessary. Denise Cabrera is a 17-year-old in Hawaii. She said all of her classmates had to take the test in 11th grade.

一些高中生想知道为什么这些考试是必要的。丹尼斯·卡布雷拉是夏威夷的一名17岁女孩。她说，她所有的同学都必须在11年级参加考试。

Cabrera said she believed taking it and getting a good score would help her get into a good college. But she thinks colleges and universities can learn more about a student by looking at "different qualities ... outside of just a one-time test score."

卡布雷拉说，她相信参加考试并取得好成绩将有助于她进入一所好大学。但她认为，高校可以通过观察学生的“不同品质……除了一次性的考试成绩。”

Godwin said about 1.4 million high school students took the test this year. That was an increase over 2022 but still below the numbers recorded before the pandemic.

戈德温说，今年大约有140万高中生参加了考试。这比2022年有所增加，但仍低于疫情前的数字。

Only 21 percent of students reached the levels the ACT organization believes are necessary to predict good success in college.

只有21%的学生达到了ACT组织认为在大学取得成功所必需的水平。