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-
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What is Level 4?
What is a hot agent?