Question

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?


What is a hot agent?

Answer 1

Highlighting clues
- For Level 4:
- “gray-zone door into Level 4”
- “like a space walk … full of the pressure of life trying to get inside your suit”
- “People went into Level 4 areas … particularly the civilian animal caretakers”
- “going into a containment zone … was something a little different. This was high-hazard work.”
These clues show Level 4 is a sealed, high‑security containment area (a highest-level lab) used for dangerous biological work.

- For hot agent:
- “an animal that had died of an amplified unknown hot agent”
- the fact the necropsy is done in a containment/Level 4 zone and is called “high-hazard work.”
These clues show a “hot agent” is a highly dangerous infectious biological agent (a virulent pathogen).

Answers
- What is Level 4? A high‑security containment area / highest‑level biosafety lab for handling very dangerous agents.
- What is a hot agent? A highly dangerous infectious agent (a virulent pathogen).