If you don't live in Los Angeles and you think you know what LA's Skid Row is like, think again. Nothing anywhere else in America compares.

In Downtown LA, however, as many as 54 blocks—between Third Street and Seventh Street, from Alameda to Main—are almost entirely given over to the homeless. Mountains of garbage block the sidewalks. The air smells like sour and burning crack. And everywhere there are people—dirty, disheveled, disabled; lay on lawn chairs or sprawled on the pavement; 

Just last year, the national poverty rate rose to include 13.2% of the population. 1 in 7 people were at risk of suffering from hunger in the United States. In addition, 3.5 million people were forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelter or cars.

The combination of the high cost of living, low-wage jobs, and high unemployment rates only exacerbate these problems and force countless Americans to choose between food, housing, and other expenses. Studies show that money devoted to food is typically the first to be sacrificed. Families will often pay their fixed payments first, such as rent and utilities, rather than pay for food. Especially in Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, these problems will only continue to grow if our society does not make it a national priority to address them in any systemic way. 

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1.Where does the story happen?

A In New York

B In Los Angeles.

C In Washington D. C.

D In Missouri

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据文章第1段“If you don't live in Los Angeles and you think you know what LA's Skid Row is like.”可知。

2.What does the underlined word disheveled mean in Chinese?

A 散乱的

B 模糊的

C 消失的

D 永远的

解析：选A。A词义猜测题。根据文章第2段第4句“dazed, disabled; stretched out on lawn chairs”可知。

3.From the third paragraph, we can know people may sleep in a________.

A cave

B tree

C car

D hole

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据文章第3段第3句“3.5 million people were forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelter or cars..” 可知。

4.Why do so many people to be homeless?

A Because they don’t like working.

B Because they are all badly ill.

C Because they like to have this kind of life.

D Because of the high cost of living, low-wage jobs.

解析：选D。A 推理判断题。根据第四段“The combination of the high cost of living, low-wage jobs "可知，高消费，低工资是导致贫困的原因。

5.What’s the best title of the passage?

A High unemployment rates In Los Angeles.

B The homeless in Los Angeles.

C Life in Los Angeles.

D The poverty in Los Angeles.

解析：选B。B 主旨大意题。根据第2段第1句“are almost entirely given over to the homeless”这是文章的主题句。