2. After a difficult ________, Michael went on to be a successful lawyer.
bring

If a student is sure that the word is, for example, an adjective but he/she can't think what the exact word is, get them to try thinking of "usual" prefixes and suffixes. Perhaps it needs the suffix "ive" or the prefix "de". After they have tried a few out, they can see which ones seem to be best. This can also be done with nouns and verbs. Your students should remember one thing: they know more English than they think they do! If they don't try, when they see the answer, often they'll say "I knew that!" so encourage them to think a little first and build their way to the answer!

Ask students to read the entire text/sentence to get a good idea of context. What "type" of word do they need? It's good practice for your students to go through one of these exercises just thinking about "what category of word?" and "positive or negative?" Is it a positive noun (competitiveness) or a negative adjective (unfriendly). If they are always thinking in those terms, it will make the word formation part of the Use of English exam easier for them.