Question

Identify the use of jargon in the excerpt by sorting the words into the appropriate category. She opened the far door and went through to the hot side. Then she reached back inside the air lock and pulled the chain in the chemical shower. That started a decon cycle running in the air lock that would eliminate any hot agents that might have leaked into the air lock as they were going through. –The Hot Zone, Richard Preston. Not jargon jargon?

1) Technical terms
2) Common words
3) Abbreviations
4) Slang words

Answer 1

In the excerpt from 'The Hot Zone,' the terms 'hot side,' 'decon cycle,' and 'hot agents' are identified as jargon that falls under the category of technical terms, reflecting their use in specialized contexts related to scientific or medical environments.

Step-by-step explanation:

Identifying jargon in a given excerpt involves categorizing words based on whether they are specialized terms or part of a more general vocabulary. In the excerpt from The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, the term "hot side" could be interpreted as jargon under category 1) Technical terms, as it likely refers to a contaminated area in a scientific or medical context. The term "decon cycle" also fits into this category as it is shorthand for "decontamination cycle" and is commonly used in environments that require sterilization or cleanup of hazardous materials. "Hot agents" would also be considered jargon because it refers to infectious or dangerous substances in a specialized context. These are terms that would not typically be used in everyday language and may not be understood without context from the field they pertain to (e.g., science, medicine).