① There are close to 58,000 homeless people in Los Angeles county. That’s a shocking and tragic number for a region that’s home to some of the richest people in the world. At last, the problem became so acute — and so visible — that Los Angeles took extraordinary action. The citizens of this county voted in November 2016 and again in March 2017 to raise their own taxes. The purpose of such action is to fund an enormous multibillion-dollar, 10-year program of housing and social services for the homeless.

② As a result, Los Angeles now has its best chance in decades to combat homelessness. This is an opportunity that surely all can agree must not be wasted. It is neither desirable nor morally acceptable nor practical for this county to tolerate the signs of deprivation more commonly associated with the slums (贫民窟) of Rio de Janiero.

③ How did we get here? For as long as there are homeless people, there is a tendency to blame the victims themselves for their condition — to see their failure to thrive as an issue of character, of moral weakness, of laziness. But contrary to popular belief, the homeless in Los Angeles are not mostly mentally ill or drug addicted or frightening, although a sizable minority meet some of those descriptions. Today, a greater and greater proportion of people living on the streets are there because of bad luck or a series of mistakes, or because the economy forgot them — they lost a job or were evicted (逐出) or fled an abusive marriage just as the housing market was growing increasingly unforgiving.

④ The challenges are enormous, even if everyone is pulling in the same direction. That reality was driven home this month by a new Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority report showing that the county’s homeless population is growing faster than the supply of new housing.

⑤ In the world’s richest nation, homelessness on this scale should be shameful and shocking. But most Los Angeles residents are no longer either shocked or shamed. Increasingly, we are uncomfortable, annoyed, disgusted, scared or unaware. Compassion (同情心) is being replaced by resignation.

1.1. Why did the citizens of Los Angeles vote to raise their own taxes?

A To combat the county’s homelessness.

B To reform the county’s service system.

C To fund the development of local infrastructure.

D To narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。由题干中的 the citizens of Los Angeles 和vote to raise their own taxes定位到首段最后一句。定位句指出，此举的目的是为一项耗资数十亿美元、为期10年的项目提供资金,该项目为无家可归者提供住房和社会服务。由此可知,洛杉矶市民投票提高税收是为了解决城市中的无家可归问题。故选A。

2.2. What do people tend to believe about the homeless?

A They seldom meet the descriptions of homelessness.

B They are the victims of fast economic development.

C They are responsible for their own condition.

D They account for the majority of drug addicts.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。由题干中的 the homeless 和题文同序原则定位到第三段第二句。定位句指出，人们就倾向于把他们的处境归咎于受害人自己---把他们的失败归于性格问题、道德缺失,或是懒惰。由此可知，人们认为无家可归者需要为自己的处境负责。故选C。

3.3. What is one of the causes for more and more people in Los Angeles to become homeless?

A They find it increasingly difficult to afford a place to live.

B The divorce rate in the county has been on a steady rise.

C They have been compelled to take low-paying jobs.

D The society fails to forgive them for their mistakes.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。由题干中的causes和become homeless定位到第三段末句。定位句指出,越来越多的人流落街头是因为他们运气不佳或是犯过一系列的错误,又或者是因为经济遗忘了他们——他们失去工作,或者被驱逐,又或者从一段不幸的婚姻中逃离,却又正赶上住房市场越来越无情。最后一句是用拟人的手法说明，房价很高，无家可归者承担不起住所的费用。故选A。

4.4. What do we learn from the new Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority report?

A Supplying enough job opportunities for the homeless remains a challenge.

B Everyone is pulling in the same direction to solve the homelessness problem.

C The increase in new housing falls short of the demand of the growing homeless population.

D Los Angeles’ homeless condition is deteriorating faster than many people predict.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。由题干中的 the new Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority report定位到第四段第二句。定位句指出,洛杉矶无家可归者服务局本月发布的一份新报告显示,该县无家可归者人口的增长速度超过新住房的提供速度。故选C。

5.5. How do most Los Angeles residents now feel about homelessness?

A They are increasingly ashamed about its scale.

B They find it no more scaring than it appears.

C They are less and less indifferent to it.

D They no longer find it shocking.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。由题干中的 most Los Angeles residents 和feel about homelessness定位到最后一段第一、二句。定位句提到,在世界上最富有的国家中,这种规模的无家可归现象是可耻且令人震惊的,但大多数洛杉矶的居民们不再感到震惊或羞耻。故选D。