The gist of a story is the main idea of a story. It is like a short summary.
Answer:
They might desire an active role in world transformation. They are hopeful for a better future as a "strange attractor".
They might believe they are pragmatists in this world, even as they imagine and work for another.
People of the future have a long term perspective.
Answer: It separates items in a long list of expectations without slowing the pace of the paragraph.
Explanation: