Question

Tom Sawyer appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He surveyed the fence, and all sadness left him and a deep melancholy settled down upon his spirit. He had been caught sneaking in late last evening, and now Aunt Polly was determined to punish him by turning his Saturday into captivity and hard labor, whitewashing a fence. Thirty yards of board fence nine feet high. Sighing he dipped his brush and passed it along the top most plank; repeated the operation; did it again; compared the insignificant whitewashed streak with the far-reaching continent of the unwashed fence, and sat down discouraged.
Soon the free boys would come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditions, and they would make a world of fun of him for having to work—the very thought of it burnt him like fire. At this dark and hopeless moment an inspiration burst upon him! He took up his brush and went tranquilly to work.
Ben Rogers hove in sight presently—the very boy, of all boys, whose ridicule he had been dreading. Ben gave a long, melodious whoop, followed by a deep-toned ding-dong-dong, for he was imitating a steamboat. Tom went on whitewashing—paid no attention to the steamboat. Ben stared a moment, then said:
"Hello, old chap, you got to work, hey?"
Tom wheeled and suddenly said" "Why, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing."
"Say—I'm going in a-swimming, I am. Don't you wish you could? But of course you'd druther work—wouldn't you?"
Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said: "What do you call work?"
"Why, ain't that work?"
Tom resumed his whitewashing, and answered carelessly: "Well, maybe it is and maybe it ain't. All I know is, it suits Tom Sawyer."
"Oh come, now, you don't mean to let on that you like it?"
"Well, I don't see why I oughtn't to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?"
That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth—stepped back to note the effect—added a touch here and there—Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. Presently he said:
"Say, Tom, let me whitewash a while."
Tom considered, was about to consent; but altered his mind. "No—no—I reckon it wouldn't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular about this fence. I reckon there ain't one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it's got to be done."
"Oh come, now—lemme just try. Only just a little. I'll be careful. Now lemme try. Say—I'll give you the core of my apple."
"Well, here—No, Ben, now don't. I'm afreared—"
"I'll give you all of it!"
Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart. And while Ben worked and sweated in the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the shade close by, dangled his legs, and munched his apple.
2
What contrast can you draw between Tom and Ben?
A.
Ben is smarter than Tom.
B.
Ben is a much harder worker than Tom.
C.
Ben is much more gullible than Tom.
D.
Ben is more clever than Tom.

Answer 1

C. Ben is much more gullible than Tom.

Tom cleverly convinces Ben that whitewashing is a rare privilege, and Ben eagerly volunteers and is easily tricked (offering his apple), showing Ben's gullibility.