Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary. Each word can be used only once . shrewd radiant discern stump conversion surpass proposition crumble ingenious distort 1. As the gender barriers ________ the number of women working as lawyers, doctors, or bankers began to increase significantly from the mid-20th century. 2. With the data collected each year, the owner of the shop can _______ customer trends and how things like weather and economic indicators affect sales performance. 3. His supervisor pushes and motivates him in such a positive manner that he is not only able to reach but to _____ his personal goals. 4. He is a man with a(n) _____business sense. He has built his initial investment into a substantial and even excessively large fortune. 5. The _____ of nuclear radiation directly into electricity was an exciting possibility that was being vigorously explored in many laboratories in the 1950s. 6. I was not only shocked but also disgusted that the report tried to _____the scientific facts in such a manner that even some highly-educated people were fooled. 7. Sixty-two and blessed with his mother's skin, the fisherman had withstood a lifetime of exposure to the sun and looked as ______ as a man in his forties. 8. French educator Louis Braille invented a simple but _____ code which has had an impact on the lives of generations of people who are blind. 9. The senators didn't expect us to ask such tough questions, and when we finally did, they got ____ and didn't know what to say. 10. This newly established university supports the ____ that a more diverse higher education system is desirable since it would enhance opportunities for lifelong learning.