Answer: Chomsky directly criticizes ChatGPT's lack of commitment in the final paragraph. He states that: "In the absence of a capacity to reason from moral principles, ChatGPT was crudely restricted by its programmers from contributing anything novel to controversial — that is, important — discussions. It sacrificed creativity for a kind of amorality." This shows how ChatGPT is a tool that avoids controversy at the cost of meaningful engagement.

In my personal opinion, having "no opinion" makes ChatGPT less useful because I think true neutrality is about understanding and weighing different perspectives, not about avoiding them. I believe learning only happens through engaging with reasoned arguments. If ChatGPT never takes a position, it cannot model how to construct and defend a viewpoint.

Answer: I remember facing similar situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was researching health-related information and there was so much misinformation online such as things like fake “cures,” home remedies that weren’t scientifically proven and even conflicting advice about how the virus spread. It was overwhelming and hard to know what to trust. That experience made me realize how important it is to find credible sources, especially when the topic affects people’s health and safety. Now, whenever I do research, I try to make sure to check where the information is coming from, whether the source is reliable and if it’s backed by evidence.

Answer 1: The last time I was assigned an academic text in English, I felt a bit overwhelmed and anxious, especially knowing it would require extra effort to fully understand the content. Like some of the students in Linda Eriksson’s study, I often feel mentally tired before I even start reading, just thinking about the challenge of processing complex English vocabulary. English isn’t my first language, so I sometimes struggle with long sentences and unfamiliar academic terms, which makes the reading feel more difficult and time-consuming.

Question 2: The students in the study report a range of challenges when reading academic texts in English. Which challenges mentioned in the article stood out to you, and do any of them match your own experience?

Answer 2: One challenge that stood out to me from the study was how reading academic texts in English slows down the students' reading speed. I completely agree with this because I often experience the same thing. When I come across unfamiliar words, I have to stop and look them up, which interrupts the flow of my reading and makes it hard to stay focused. This constant pausing can make the whole process feel frustrating and tiring.

Answer: About cliches, the author thinks that they weaken writing because they are overused and empty phrases that give the illusion of meaning without offering anything original or thoughtful. People often use them thinking they will make their ideas sound more wise, but in reality, cliches fill the writing with "cheap, slang, sloppy sentences and vague philosophical statements" (Zinsser, 2006). Rather than enriching the text, they can make it feel breezy. In my own writing, I realize that sometimes I also rely on familiar phrases like "in conclusion", "nowadays", etc. I believe I could improve my writing by replacing them with more vivid language that better reflect my ideas.

Answer: The author defines the term "manufactured doubt" as "actions that deliberately alter and misrepresent knowable facts and empirical evidence to promote an agenda" (Goldberg & Vanberg, 2021). So, I think it involves creating confusion around real facts because someone benefits from casting doubt on itl. When evaluating my own research, I will make sure to recognize when a source may be biased or misleading. For example, if I find a source that emphasizes uncertainty without any strong evidence, I will carefully assess if that is a sign of manufactured doubt. I will also look for many credible sources to ensure I am not being misled by the hidden agendas.

Answer 1: The writer suggests using two pens while reading. One highlighter to highlight important points and one regular pen to take notes in the margins. This method helps keep track of key ideas and encourages our engagement with the text. I use a similar strategy, but instead of a highlighter, I just underline important ideas with my pen and sometimes write quick notes beside them. After reading this, I think using a highlighter might be a better idea, since it could help me visually separate key points from my own thoughts and make reviewing easier later on.

Question 2: According to the writer, what is the benefit of reading entire articles as a graduate student, and do you usually read everything or skip parts? Why?

Answer 2: The writer writes that he benefit of reading entire articles is that it helps build a deeper understanding of what’s important and what’s not. Skipping parts can be risky because we might miss key ideas or misunderstand the argument. Personally, I try to read everything, especially when I’m not very familiar with the topic. But if I already have some background knowledge or I’m short on time, I sometimes skim the middle paragraphs. However, after reading this, I can see the value in pushing myself to read more thoroughly.