It's 3. All the other answers are opinons and not provable by fact.
A. it's an r, not a vowel or plural. <span />
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.
Answer to #1: D, Glossary
Answer to #2: C, index
