Tom tried to ______ his absence from the meeting by claiming that he had been ill that day. 2. The poem wasn’t written to give a realistic account of the war but to _______ those men who were killed in the war, giving some comfort to their friends and relatives. 3. This painting perfectly __________ the naturalistic style which was so popular at the time. 4. The books in our library are ________ according to subject matter. 5. The water here has to be _______ before you can drink it. 6. With more companies bidding on the project, the competition is bound to ________. 7.I’m so familiar with the students that I can _______ them by their footsteps. 8. I was _____ by the bull and wanted to run off the field.