Question

some people have tried to turn things around in detroit. unfortunately, that has been difficult. the government does not have much money. businesses have left the city. gangs have taken over whole neighborhoods. it can be hard to know exactly how to make positive changes. still, people continue to try. and some of them are having success. one group is youthville detroit. this community center opened in 2005. its goal is to support the young people of the city. identify author’s purpose the author’s purpose in the first paragraph is to explain why making changes in detroit has been difficult. highlight the sentence that shows that violence is an ongoing problem in detroit.

Explanation:

The first paragraph describes Detroit's issues (government lack of funds, businesses leaving, gangs, difficulty in positive change) and a successful group (Youthville Detroit) aiming to support youth. To find the sentence showing violence is an ongoing problem, we look for a sentence related to gangs/violence. The relevant sentence is "Gangs have taken over whole neighborhoods." as gangs are associated with violence, and "taken over whole neighborhoods" implies the violence - related problem is ongoing.

Answer:

Gangs have taken over whole neighborhoods.