Final answer:
The answer suggests that Ben could perform his poem better at the school's Poetry Day by building up his confidence, especially after Sharifa's performance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to complete the explanation about Ben's poetry reading is finding confidence. Although Ben was shy, by gaining confidence, he could perform better. This concept of building self-esteem and overcoming shyness is illustrated through various literary examples.
In one narrative, a character who is timid experiences weeks of pain from feeling unwanted. Another story explores a young character's growth in self-confidence.
We learn through these stories that characters develop and perform better when they find courage and confidence in themselves.
Similarly, for Ben to succeed at the poetry reading after Sharifa's performance, he would need to build confidence and possibly draw on his unique experiences, like the character who spoke Spanish and lived in Mexico, to add depth to his poetry reading.
Thus, completing the phrase with something like 'gathered his courage' or 'built up his confidence' would aptly describe how Ben could improve his performance.