Question

recognizing and understanding jargon
nancy took a breath and gathered her thoughts. she imagined that passing through the gray - zone door into level 4 was like a space walk, except that instead of going into outer space, you went into inner space, which was full of the pressure of life trying to get inside your suit. people went into level 4 areas all the time at the institute, particularly the civilian animal caretakers. but going into a containment zone to perform a necropsy on an animal that had died of an amplified unknown hot agent was something a little different. this was high - hazard work.

• the hot zone, richard preston

read the passage, and highlight clues that reveal the meaning of the underlined words. then, use the drop - down menus to answer the questions.
what is level 4?
a gray zone of inner space
what is a hot agent?
an extremely contagious disease or virus
a law enforcement officer with a weapon
a new energy source from outer space

Explanation:

The passage mentions performing a necropsy on an animal that died of an amplified unknown hot - agent, indicating high - hazard work. In the context of such work in a containment zone, a hot agent is typically an extremely contagious disease or virus.

Answer:

an extremely contagious disease or virus