Ever wonder what it sounds like to be in the trees of Madagascar? How about the songs of Slovakian nightingales? Now, you can experience nature around the globe, all with the click of a mouse!

The COVID-19 has canceled countless events, including a three-day festival in England that celebrates the connection between humans and the world. Luckily, it has also encouraged people to get creative. In doing so, this group opened up an amazing way to access new aural experiences!

Wild Rumpus, a group based in the U.K., organizes outdoor art and cultural events. After they had to cancel their annual Timber Festival this summer, the organizers put their heads together to find a way around COVID-19 restrictions. Their solution? To turn the festival into a virtual celebration of nature! They quickly created “Sounds of the Forest”, an interactive map that features chirps(啾啾叫) , rain showers, and other woodland noises from around the globe.

  “We listened to the forests in Hong Kong, lemurs(狐猴) in the forest in Madagascar, nightingales in Slovakia,” Sarah Bird, the director of Wild Rumpus, said. “We realized that not only had it captured people’s imaginations, but at a time when we felt so isolated, it was an amazing way to feel connected.”

They have since received clips from the U.S., Chile, Hungary, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, to name a few. Today, the map features sounds are from six continents! Users can either listen online or download their favorite sounds to enjoy later. Either way, the map provides a one-of-a-kind experience to help people relax, de-stress, and “travel” to their hearts’ content!

“At a time when everything in society was being questioned and there was so much uncertainty, we felt that the natural world offered much reassurance and constancy,” Sarah added.

What a great idea! Even better, Wild Rumpus has selected four musicians to compose music based on these sounds, which will be performed live during next year’s Timber Festival. Until then, you can check out the map and treat your ears here.

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1.What is the underlined part “aural experiences” related to ?

A The sense of sight.

B The sense of hearing.

C The sense of smelling.

D The sense of touch.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据全文可知，Wild Rumpus制作出了“森林之声”，这是一张以啁啾声、阵雨和其它来自世界各地的森林之音为主要内容的交互式地图，人们可以在家感受大自然的声音。由此推断该体验与听觉有关，故选B。

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE about Wild Rumpus?

A They postponed their annual Timber Festival this summer.

B They created an online musical festival about the forest.

C They made people able to enjoy the sounds in the forests.

D They were limited to organize outdoor art and cultural events.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第二段To turn the festival into a virtual celebration of nature!以及第三段We listened to the forests in Hong Kong, lemurs(狐猴) in the forest in Madagascar, nightingales in Slovakia可知，Wild Rumpus乐团将一年一度的“木材节”变成一个虚拟的大自然庆典！人们可以倾听香港的森林、马达加斯加森林里的狐猴以及斯洛伐克的夜莺所发出的声音，即人们能够欣赏到森林的声音。故选C。

3.What’s the main function of Wild Rumpus’s creation?

A To develop and use people’s imaginations.

B To relieve the pain of people missing their hometown.

C To strengthen the connection between people and nature.

D To comfort and delight people in this special and hard times.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句的The COVID-19以及第五段Either way, the map provides a one-of-a-kind experience to help people relax, de-stress, and “travel” to their hearts’ content!可知，这张地图提供了独一无二的体验，在不能随意出门的疫情期间，帮助人们放松、减压，尽情“旅行”。故选D。

4.Which of the following will probably happen according to the passage?

A People will treat their ears with sounds that they prefer.

B The next year’s Timber Festival will be held as scheduled.

C People will be able to appreciate music based on "Sounds of the Forest".

D Wild Rumpus will pay more attention to interaction with individuals.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据最后一段Wild Rumpus has selected four musicians to compose music based on these sounds, which will be performed live during next year’s Timber Festival.可知，Wild Rumpus挑选了四位音乐家来根据这些声音作曲，并将在明年的木材节现场表演。由此推断人们将有可能欣赏到基于“森林之声”的音乐。故选C。