① The United States is facing a housing crisis: Affordable housing is inadequate, while luxury homes abound (充裕) , and homelessness remains a persistent problem. Despite this, popular culture and the housing industry market happiness as living with both more space and more amenities (便利设施). Big houses are advertized as a reward for hard work and diligence, turning housing from a basic necessity into a luxury.

② This is reflected in our homes. The average single-family home built in the United States before 1970 was less than 1,500 square feet in size. By 2016, the average size of a new, single-family home was 2,422 square feet. What’s more, homes built in the 2000s were more likely than earlier models to have more of all types of spaces: bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, recreation rooms and garages.

③ There are consequences of living big. As middle-class houses have grown larger, two things have happened. First, large houses take time to maintain, so cleaners and other low-wage service workers are required to keep these houses in order. Second, once-public spaces, where people from diverse backgrounds used to come together, have increasingly become privatized, leading to a reduction in the number of public facilities available to all, and a reduced quality of life for many. Take swimming pools. While in 1950, only 2,500 U.S. families owned pools, by 1999 this number was 4 million. At the same time, public municipal pools were often closed, leaving low-income people nowhere to swim.

④ The trend for bigger housing thus poses ethical questions. Should Americans accept a system in which the middle and upper classes enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, using the low-wage labor of others? Are we willing to accept a system in which an increase in amenities purchased by the affluent means a reduction in amenities for the poor?

1.1.What are big houses promoted to be in the United States?

A A luxury for the homeless.

B A reward for industriousness.

C An abundant source of comforts.

D An absolute necessity for happiness.

解析：选B。B细节理解题。由题干中的 big houses 和 promoted to be定位到首段第三句。定位句指出，大房子被宣传为是对辛勤工作和勤奋的奖励,而这一宣传将住房从基本必需品变成了奢侈品。由此可见，流行文化与房地产行业都以大房子是对辛苦工作和勤奋的奖励为噱头来推销豪宅,industriousness是对hard work 和 diligence 的同义转述。故选B。

2.2.What is one of the consequences of living big?

A Many Americans’ quality of life has become lower.

B People from diverse backgrounds no longer socialize.

C People no longer have access to public swimming pools.

D Many Americans’ private life has been negatively affected.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。由题干中的 consequences of living big定位到第三段首句。第三段主要介绍了住房面积增大带来的两个后果。第三段第四句提到，曾经的公共空间越来越私有化,导致所有人可用的公共设施数量减少,许多人的生活质量下降了。由此可知,住房面积的增大导致很多美国人生活质量下降了。故选A。

3.3.What questions arises from living big?

A Questions related to moral principles.

B Questions having to do with labor cost.

C Questions about what lifestyle to promote.

D Questions concerning housing development.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。由题干中的 questions arise from living big定位到第四段首句。定位句指出，住房面积增大的趋势引发了道德问题。由此可见,住房面积增大的趋势给人们带来的是与道德原则有关的问题。故选A。

4.4.What kind of social system does the author think is unacceptable?

A One in which the wealthy exploit the low-wage laborers building their houses.

B One in which the rich purchase amenities at an increasingly unjustifiable price.

C One in which the upper classes deprive the lower classes of affordable housing.

D One in which the affluent enjoy a more comfortable life at the expense of the poor.

解析：选D。D推理判断题。由题干中的 social system 和 unacceptable定位到第四段最后一句和第五段第一句。由第五段第一句“两者都不可接受”可知,不可接受的问题在第四段。第四段最后一句提到一种“富人购买便利设施的增加意味着穷人的便利设施减少”的制度。换言之，作者反对“富人通过牺牲穷人的生活品质而享受更舒适的生活的制度”。故选D。

5.5.What does the author advocate for people to live well?

A Finding ways to turn private spaces into public ones.

B Building more houses affordable to those less affluent.

C More public spaces created for everyone to enjoy.

D All amenities made accessible to the rich and the poor alike.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。由题干中的 advocate for people to live well定位到末段最后两句。定位句指出，过得好可以意味着拥有更多的公共空间。对一些人来说，比起建造更大的房子,更好的目标是为所有人创造更多的公共空间和便利设施。由此可见，为了使人们过得好,作者主张创造更多每个人都可以享受的公共空间。故选C。