I believe that the most fitting answer for this question would be true. You can listen for many different purposes. For example, you can listen to learn something new, as you do in class. You can listen to enjoy something, such as music or a story. You can listen to understand someone else's feelings, such as when your friend is sad and is telling you about their problems. You can listen to respond in an argument, such as when you are in a heated debate and must prepare an answer. Hope this helps.
The correct answer is B indeed. It is an example of plain folks because the speaker appeals to the citizens of his town, and to the knowledge that he shares with the other members of the community. This strategy is quite basic, as shown by this example, because the author makes a claim that most people would agree with, without actually providing evidence or a series of logical arguments.
I think the narrator believes that the men he is talking about lacked vision to anticipate future problems and courageously deal with the consequences ie they did not actively or proactively deal with life but on the contrary allowed themselves to be victims of circumstance. Re the word "I" I think he means that they did not realize the power they had to change the course of events.