1. Inside the Hot Lab

radio-active substances; to handle things by remote control; to wear protective clothing; air-conditioned; windowless; to be swept and pol­ished constantly; to take care not to expose oneself to too much radia­tion; extremely dangerous; to catch one's eye; in the middle of the floor; a coffin of a particular design; a large brick-shaped block of solid lead; the best material to stop radiation; to give very little protection against radiation; a cavity; a uranium slug; fresh from the reactor; atomic pile; to be pushed along the channels; to take place (of fission); to transform partly into plutonium and fission products; to experiment with slugs; the longer the slug has been in the pile, the more active it's likely to be when it comes out; to do (make) an experiment; to be off (of the lead bricks); to make observations; to check smth; to read the instruments; to have everything under control

2. Curtis Faces a Difficult Decision

a senior officer; to be responsible for smth; to give smb a write-up; to treat smth seriously; to give one's word to the Establishment Offi­cer; to fill up a form; to have to do with smb's promotion; to go up for an interview; a spare quarter of an hour; a difficult decision to make; to show a responsible attitude; to report impartially on smb's actual work; to give a fair account of smth; not to hesitate to give one's person­al opinion; to be up to the Commission (to decide)

3. Johnson's Chances of Promotion

to have one's good (bad) points; difficult to handle; to put it mild­ly; a nasty temper; unaccountable; to be inconsistent intellectually, in one's behaviour; to see no sense in the way smb goes on; to catch smb going behind one's back; to do smb a dirty trick; no sense of re­sponsibility; to be erratic in one's ideas; a blunder; a risk; a menace; to be more than one can put up with; to go by (of the years); to be fair to smb; to become more sensible; to do a good job as Experimental Officer; to have everything in one to make a good Senior Scientific Of­ficer; to have a lot of experience; to take oneself in hand as to one's ideas and personal behaviour; to come to the conclusion; to move smb up; the risk might be worth taking

4. Johnson Comes to Have it Out With Curtis

Johnson: to aim at an appointment; to have it fixed in one's head; the delay in one's promotion; to be smb's fault; to have strong suspi­cions (about); to be determined to get hold of the confidential report at any price; to expose smb; to burst in; to be beside oneself with anger; to speak in a menacing tone; to demand an explanation; to be convinced that ...; to wreck smb's chances of promotion; to want to know where one stands; to take the wrong attitude;

Curtis: to look up at smb in mild surprise; to guess the purpose of smb's visit; to be used to dealing with smb in such a mood; to tell by the look in smb's eye; to mean trouble; to try to calm smb down; not to deny; to admit willingly; to give an account of what was written in the write-up; to draw smb's attention to smth; to give smb a chance to judge for oneself about smth; to conclude by saying that ...; in spite of smth; to be perfectly willing to take the risk; to expect smb to re-sspect one's judgement; to catch smb looking over one's shoulder; to lose one's temper with smb; to be unable to check one's anger; to be fed up with smb; to wonder how smb can dare to doubt smb's word; to refuse to put up with smth