Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[tisogai]

Above is from The Dearth of Karen Silkwood.

'They say I'm clean. Outside perhaps. But what about inside? How much radioactive dust is in my body? Am I "hot"?'

Her voice was quiet and tired. Suddenly she looked old. Slowly, she began to put her clothes on.

'"Hot"? What do you mean?' asked Karen.
'"Hot" means radioactive.'.....

Does hot/radioactive here mean "contaminated with radioactive"??

Thanks.

[CP]

Yes. When you get too much high-energy electromagnetic radiation, such as Gamma rays or X-rays, your body tissues also become radioactive, meaning they emit enough radiation to be picked up on a Geiger counter. That is what Karen Silkwood means when she asks whether she is hot. She was exposed to much radiation, allegedly by her employer, to try to get rid of her, since she was an activist pushing for safety.
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