The Last Days of Loki (Context Clues) quiz

"Balder was dead, and the gods were still mourning his loss. They were sad, and the gray rains fell unceasingly, and there was no joy in the land. Loki, when he returned from one of his journeys to distant parts, was unrepentant."

What does "unrepentant" mean?

• sorrowful

• showing no regret for one's wrongdoing

• despiteful

When Loki heard the gods praise Aegir’s servant, Fimafeng, for his swiftness and diligence, he sprang up from the table and stabbed Fimafeng with his knife, killing him instantly. The horrified gods drove Loki out of the feast hall, into the darkness. Time passed.

The feasting continued, but now it was subdued.

What is the meaning of 'subdued'?

• quiet and rather reflective or depressed

• loud and boisterous

• holy, reserved

There was a commotion at the doorway, and when the gods and goddesses turned to find out what was happening, they saw that Loki had returned. He stood in the entry to the hall, staring at them, with a sardonic smile.

What is the meaning of 'sardonic'?

• happy; jovial

• calm and serene

• grimly mocking or cynical

One by one that night, Loki insulted the gods and the goddesses....He told them that they were fools, and reminded them of things they thought were safely forgotten. He sneered and jeered and raised old scandals, and would not stop making everyone there miserable until Thor arrived at the feast.

What does "jeered" mean?

• jovial comments

• make rude and mocking remarks, typically in a loud voice

• dismissive remarks

You would need to tie one end of the cord to something as you wove it—something like that stick jutting from the floor over there. Then you would knot and thread your rope, weaving it, so that one piece of cord would form a . . . Hmm. I wonder what Loki called it. I will call it a net.”

What is the definition of jutting?

• extend out, over, or beyond the main body or line of something

• to protrude but later join the main piece

• align with

“We will not kill him,” said Kvasir. “Tell me, Vali, what is the worst thing that one brother could do to another?” “For a brother to betray his brother,” said Vali, without hesitating. “For a brother to murder a brother, as Hod killed Balder. This is abominable.”

What does 'abominable' mean?

• careful and persistent work or effort

• twisted or bent out of the normal shape.

• causing moral revulsion.

The gods took Narfi’s spilled entrails, and they pushed them through the holes they had made in the stones, binding Loki’s neck and shoulders tightly. They wound the entrails of his son around his loins and hips and tied his knees and legs so tightly he could barely move. Then, the gods transformed the intestines of Loki’s murdered son into fetters so tight and so hard that they might have been iron.

What is the meaning of 'entrails'?

• intestines or internal organs, especially when removed or exposed

•  quiet and rather reflective or depressed.

• causing moral revulsion

It was a snake, cold of eye, its tongue flickering, its fangs dripping with poison. It hissed, and a drop of poison from its mouth dripped onto Loki’s face, making his eyes burn. Loki screamed and contorted, writhing and twisting in pain. He tried to get out of the way, to move his head from beneath the poison.

What does 'writhing' mean?

• quick, lengthy movements

• make continual twisting, squirming movements or contortions of the body

• moving slowly

Loki screamed and contorted, writhing and twisting in pain. He tried to get out of the way, to move his head from beneath the poison. The bonds that had once been the entrails of his own son held him tightly.

What is the meaning of 'contorted'?

• loose, wavy movements

• smooth, continuous movements

• twisted or bent out of the normal shape

Thor nodded with enthusiasm, not entirely certain how he had come to this conclusion from ashes on the floor but happy to know where Loki was hiding.

What does 'enthusiasm' mean?

• quiet, homely atmosphere

• intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval.

• lively discourse