(1) What do you think is the central point of the essay you read by Mario Vargas Llosa?

I think the central point was the use of literature as an instrument of freedom. Vargas frequently argues that literature is essential for a free society because it starts critical thinking, exposes the flaws of authoritarianism, and also creates a healthy dissatisfaction with reality.

(2) What is the truth of the matter regarding the claim that people in the Middle Ages thought the earth was flat?

The belief that people thought that the earth was flat in the middle ages is a modern myth. Educated people through the Middle Ages knew that the earth was spherical. Greek philosophers such as Aristotle established the spherical model of the earth. The myth was started in the 19th century by writers like Washington Irving and anti-religious historians who sought to portray the Middle Ages as an era of blind faith and ignorance compared to modern scientific enlightenment.

Mark 13
² “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

I thought it was interesting that Jesus decided to destroy all of the temple, as it had turned corrupt, and that he told the disciples that it would happen.