Eugenia Bashkatova

Empathy The issue of the distinction between humans and animals is being discussed constantly. Once people find a trait that distinguishes them from other creatures thus making human beings special, they become convinced of otherwise. What makes us human? The ability to empathize, to understand others’ feelings and react to them, has long been attributed to both animals and humans. However, it is not entirely true. Although some animals can express simple emotions, only humans are capable of empathy. Throughout the years there were multiple attempts to detect signs of animals’ feeling of empathy. In 1959 the American psychologist Russell Church conducted an experiment with rats. One animal stopped pressing the bar to get food when another rat in the neighbouring cage was given electric shocks. That experiment showed that the rat felt anxiety for the other one. The scientist saw a sign of possible empathy in the animal’s action. In 1962 Priscilla Gainer and George Rice observed rats’

Why Should Schools Reopen? Today the world is going through the difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to fears of mass fatalities and inability to provide all the infected people with hospital beds, governments have closed  public places, and schools are among them. Teachers and students are now trying to handle the educational process online. Seemingly, the safety precautions have not interrupted education, still, there are problems with the newly established system. The schools have to be reopened so as not to harm students mentally.   First of all, it must be emphasized that students of schools, not universities, are taken into account in the essay. They are children who remain greatly dependent on the environment they are in, that is why Lee Hudson in his article ( https://bit.ly/3cGtVY6 ) (Accessed: 17.05.2020) raises the issue of the children's impossibility of going to schools in order to escape the pressure and violence in their families during lockdown. Dr

Helicopter Parents' Influence on Their Children Many of us are acquainted with the phrase "helicopter parents", which are ones that have total control over their children's life. Of course, usually parents are led only by kind intentions: they want their child to be successful in the future, be provided with everything that can and cannot be afforded. But do children need this overprotection, excessive help from their mum and dad? Helicopter parenting have nothing in common with help. Katherine Schulten in her article "Do You Have Helicopter Parents?" ( https://nyti.ms/3b1ePv1 ) (Published: 14.05.2013. Accessed: 17.03.2020) names the drawbacks of the latter type of the upbringing of the child. If all problems children meet with are solved by their parent, they do not need to make an extra effort to put things together by themselves. On the one hand, this situation cannot happen with a conscientious and responsible youngster, who wants to be indepen