CAN MEN AND WOMEN BE FRIENDS? 60

Throughout history, men and women have lived together in society. While some people think the purpose of the existence of the opposite sex is just providing continuation of the species so that when they are together they can just think about sex, other people claim that they can be just friends. In my opinion, even though it may be more difficult, I disagree with the fact that men and women cannot be friends.

Firstly, people who believe men and women cannot be friends claim that their interests and concerns are different, which means they have nothing to share. For me, this belief belongs to the Middle Ages and should have stayed there. In today’s world, contrary to the Middle Ages, women and men are equal. They not only have similar social roles and responsibilities, but also have common interests and concerns. For instance, clearly they can both like the cinema and talk about that, or contrary to what we are used to, they can talk about make-up or soccer. Therefore,  this idea is sexist and men and women can share a lot.

Lastly, because their brains work differently, they can have different approaches and perceptions which may complement each other in friendship.They can learn about the opposite sex's way of thinking and feeling and it helps them to improve their framework and the way they perceive situations. When something happens they can see the situations from both men's and women's points of view.

In a nutshell, contrary to the society's  pressure on the impossibility of friendship between men and women, they can share a lot and teach many things to each other. In short, men and women can be friends.

Dilara Şengül

THE EFFECTS OF THE LATEST CELL PHONES (70)

                Over the past 20 or 30 years, technological developments have brought significant changes to our lives. Yet there remains some disagreement as to whether these changes favorable. Especially, the developments of cell phones have considerable effects on people. Although the attest cell phones are seen as appealing to people, there are a lot of positive effects as well as negative effects.

                In the first place, one point which is believed to be absolutely pivotal is the fact that there are lots of positive effects of the latest cell phones. One of these positive effects is convenience due to the fact that people can use their cell phones everywhere. Besides, thanks to cell phones, people can contact each other easily. In addition, cell phones contribute to the improvement of personal security by using fingerprints or entry codes. Therefore, it can be said that there are several positive effects of the latest cell phones.

                When it comes to the second point, at the heart of the matter lies another contributing factor: there are numerous negative effects of the latest cell phones. To be more specific, these negative effects are related to people’s health; people who use the latest cell phones always suffer from addiction, stress, the risk of cancer, and insomnia, according to research carried out by the World Health Organization. In addition, there is one different point concerning this issue: this is traffic accidents. It is an undeniable fact that most traffic accidents are caused by drivers who are on the phone. Therefore, the latest cell phones have numerous negative effects.

                By way of conclusion, whether the latest cell phones are favorable or not is a controversial issue. It is obvious that there are both negative effects and positive effects. Being convenient, increasing personal security and supplying contact can be listed as the positive effect, on the other hand, addiction, increased stress, the risk of cancer, insomnia and , the increased the risk of traffic accidents are seen as the negative effects of the latest cell phones.

MILAN VS. HONG KONG (A typical 60)

          Milan and Hong Kong are very different from each other. There are some differences between  these cities’ policies. Milan’s governors attach importance to nature, a healthy lifestyle, and ruralization; in contrast, people focus on industry and urbanization in Hong Kong. These cities’ appearances are quite different.

      Milan is the second biggest city in Italy. It is greener than many cities in the world. The main reason for this is that there is a conscious effort to make the city greener in Milan. Firstly, in Milan, if people build new buildings or structures, these structures contain plants or greenery, and they have rooftop gardens and innovative parks.Secondly, one of the good examples is the Trees Library in Milan. The Trees Library provides spectacular natural rooms of different coloured foliage for people. This is created for different purposes like sports or cultural events. Besides, there are communal vegetable and fruit beds in Milan. These are used at the nearby restaurants, and thanks to this implementation, people have a healthy diet.

    Hong Kong was an isolated fishing village in the past. It became a more developed city thanks to industrial activities. Many people immigrate to Hong Kong in order to work in new factories. Developing industry and the increase in the number  of factories caused a concentration of human population, and thanks to all of these, Hong Kong became a developed city. There is a major influx of vehicles and people, in spite of that, urban planning and traffic are  not  big problems in Hong Kong thanks to newer, more efficient, modern transport systems. Besides, Hong Kong is a hub of the hustle and bustle nowadays, and it provides an avid and colorful lifestyle for its own residents. The reason for this is that Hong Kong is a very crowded city, and millions of people visit this city for trade, travel or health opportunities every year. Due to all of these, Hong Kong became a large and lively city.

      Consequently, Milan and Hong Kong are big cities, but they are different from each other. They have different basic features and priorities. People are trying to implement  a more natural and healthier life in Milan; in contrast, industry and trade come to the forefront in Hong Kong.                                                                                          Nesibe Dilekçi

HOW MANY CHILDREN? (A clear 60 on a proficiency exam)

      Overpopulation has become an issue of great concern and controversy all over the world. The increase in the number of people has lead to many problems such as unemployment, low quality of public services and high levels of pollution. Limiting the number of children per family is considered by some to be a way of stabilizing population growth.The number of children a family can have should be limited by law.

     First of all, the number of children a family can have should be limited to avoid overpopulation. Increasing the number of people means increasing the use of power supplies. In other words, people have many needs such as food, safety, transport  and they use many resources to meet their needs. This leads to a reduction of sources of  energy . Access to sources of energy is a veryimportant  issue that can be linked to inter country warfare. Moreover, overpopulation can cause environmental pollution such as air and water pollution. More factories are opened to meet the people’s needs. These factories create air and water pollution with their wastes.

       Another issue is about parents’interest. As thenumber of children in the family increases, the care and attention devoted to each child decreases. This means parents can devote more  time to fewer children. Children receive their first and fundamental education from their parents, so the interest of the parents in their children is very important. Some kids grow up in the streets. It is a good thing that children play with their peers in the streets but if parents do not pay attention to their children, they can get close to kids who have bad habits.

       It has been said that children are economic power for their family. For example, for a farming family, children are the workers who will work in the field. For some families also, children are a source of income because they work to support their family financially. However,this argument is not actually logical.As thenumber of children increases, the per capita income decreases. It is easier to meet the needs of fewer children. As the number of children in the family increases, this becomes more difficult. Furthermore, as the number of children increases, the sharing of inheritance becomes more difficult. This sharing can even cause  conflict between siblings.

       In conclusion, laws should restrict the number of children a family can have. Although this seems to be undemocratic,  it is important for the society’s future. The important thing is not  to raise a lot of children but to raise moral and educated children.

MELEK KARAKUZU

CAUSES OF DRUG ABUSE (60/65)

        Abuse of drugs can be defined as taking substances, hazardous for our health, to feel excitment and pleasure. In the last decades, drug abuse has become a widespread problem in all countries. Especially adolescents have an increasing tendency to use drugs which produce insensibility or induce sleep. Since drug addiction is a serious problem for many, we should consider the possible causes of this phenomenon.

             One principal reason for the abuse of drugs might be the influence of friends. Sometimes, young people try to conform to the expectations of their friends so that they can fit in (with) a social group. To be more precise, teenagers who are among friends using drugs can believe if they use drugs, they will be appreciated by their friends. What is more, a person can take drugs to be considered as the ‘’cool one’’, which is another way to fit in a social group. In addition, sometimes people can be directly forced to use drugs by their friends. To illustrate, a young girl’s boyfriend can force/ induce her to use drugs and then the young girl feels she must use the drugs.

            Another cause of this phenomenon might be an unhappy life. Adolescents with weak family ties, unhappy relationships or unhappy school lives can feel depressed. They start to search for solutions in pursuit of a better life. When they meet drugs, they believe drugs will help them overcome their problems., feelings of pleasure and excitement that result from taking drugs can be considered as the perfect solution from the teenagers’ perspective.

               All things considered, the abuse of drugs is becoming a widespread issue, which stems from unhappy lives and peer pressure. Authorities suggest adolescents with such a hazardous habit receive professional help to get rid of this habit. Experts had better focus largely on what exactly causes a young person to have this problem.

HOW TO DEAL WITH BULLYING (This is a 70/ 75)

            Bullying can be defined as  despising, harming and annoying a person. These acts can be physical, verbal, emotional or sexual. Unfortunately, bullying in schools is a growing concern all over the world. Moreover, bullying has negative impacts both on victims and bullies. It is a serious problem with long lasting effects that can be the root cause of criminal behavior, academic failure and lack of self-esteem later in life. Therefore, it might be a good idea to produce useful solutions to alleviate the negative consequences of bullying in schools.

         To begin with, teachers and administrators can play an effective role in overcoming bullying in schools. They can set up programs to educate students about bullying. Due to the fact that there is a power imbalance between bullies and victims, teachers should encourage "bystanders" to become "upstanders". Furthermore, teachers or administrators should get students to be involved in organizing anti-bullying forums where they resolve problems. Thanks to the awareness of the results of bullying, fewer incidents might occur in schools.

              What is more, parents can also help children avoid bullying. First of all, they should have a clear understanding of the reasons and consequences of bullying. Actually, bullies come from homes where physical punishment is used and those children have been taught that corporal punishment is the way to handle problems. Therefore, parents ought to give their children a chance to express themselves. Moreover, enjoyable activities and discussions with children are some of the noteworthy solutions. These activities can provide children with self-esteem. Therefore, in any case, parents are the role models of their children and thus couples should be more careful when they educate their children about bullying.

          To sum up, bullying in schools is not a problem that should be ignored because it can have many negative effects on students. To handle bullying, parents and teachers should be aware of this problem and work together; otherwise, not only victims but also bullies might be affected negatively throughout their lives.

URBAN TRANSFORMATION IN ISTANBUL (This is a 60)

Today, the most important matter in hand for Istanbul is urban transformation. Some say that it is necessary to develop \improve  our city in terms of housing, transportation, and facilities; in return, others say that it will bring us noise pollution and deforestation. There are both negative and positive aspects of urban transformation.

            First of all, there are many advantages of transformation like providing better housing. The increasing population obliges us to have new settlements. After urban transformation, we will be able to use the land efficiently. Therefore, housing  will no longer  be a problem. Another advantage is better facilities. Using the city’ lands efficiently can  give us the ability to adjust factories’ locations. Citizens in Istanbul complain about factories (which are)  located in the city. By means of urban transformation, the problem can  be solved. The last advantage of urban transformation that should be mentioned is reducing  traffic (the reduction of traffic congestion) congestion. Traffic congestion is a problem for all metropolis but for Istanbul, it is a nightmare, also. The solution is simple. After urban transformation, not only housing or facilities but also traffic jams will be fixed (will have been dealt with )  .

            However, there are also some disadvantages. First of all, all legislation to transform the city has to be applied sparingly. Otherwise, many sources such as money, time, and labor will be wasted. We can  mention noise pollution as a disadvantage of urban transformation because Istanbul is a big and complex city. It will  take at least 10 years to modernize  the whole  city. However, all this will cause noise pollution. Another example of the disadvantages is deforestation. All these developments in the  city will create job opportunities. So, people will  want to move there. This circumstance will  cause a catastrophe because, people will  use forests to expand the city, which means  deforestation.

            As we see, there are many advantages and disadvantages of urban transformation in a city like Istanbul. The advantages outweigh the drawbacks. So, we need to transform the city, while protecting nature.

IN DEFENSE OF HANDGUNS (This is a 70)

     Considering how many people live (in) the world, it is no surprise that there exist conflicts between people. Unfortunately, guns might seem like an effective tool to solve such conflicts. Moreover, people use handguns for sport or hunting. I mean that guns have had a role in people's lives because of different reasons throughout the whole history of humankind. Nowadays, whether civilian possession of handguns should be banned has become a contentious issue. Some people think that guns should be banned immediately because they lead to the death of more people. However, anybody with a conscience must agree that guns are not the main reason for deaths and thus forbidding guns will not be a solution.

            To begin with, it has been argued that most violent crimes are committed with guns. In other words, restricting gun ownership will likely reduce the number of crimes. However; this approach is purely based on opinion with no  evidence to back up this argument. Only about 15% of guns used for crimes were stolen from legal markets, most of them are acquired illegally. This fact means guns are easily purchased behind closed doors.. Therefore, banning civilian possession of handguns will not help deal with crimes. To overcome crimes or reduce homicide rates, authorities should combat (the owners of) illegal gun markets..

            Furthermore, people who advocate the restriction of guns claim that suicides and crimes of passion are higher if guns are readily available. The justification of this idea is that committing  crimes are much easier when a gun is available. What is more, crimes that may have been less harmful can be made more dangerous due to the use of a gun. However, this approach is nothing but an oversimplification because it does not reflect the whole picture. First of all, guns are incapable of killing people, people kill people. Moreover, civilian possession of guns enables people to defend themselves/ provides people with the opportunity to defend themselves. For instance, women and weaker individuals may use guns to protect themselves from rape or similar crimes especially in the inner city. If people did not have a gun then who would defend them when they face a person who bought a gun illegally?

                To sum up, guns are used for serious crimes; it is an undeniable fact. However, the restriction of civilian possession of handguns and other non-hunting guns is not a real solution because it does not address the core issue of violence.

CİHAT KORKUNÇ

LAW ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS (This is a 70)

The population has been increasing day by day, causing the rates of crime to increase/grow in developed and developing countries as well. There are a variety of security measures that can be taken to decrease the number of crimes in these countries. Law enforcement cameras can be regarded as an example of security precaution. However, some people think that law enforcement cameras are an invasion of privacy, which has caused many debates.. People are mainly divided into two groups, one of which supports the view that law enforcement cameras are an invasion of privacy while the other opposes to it.

First of all, law enforcement cameras are not an invasion of privacy because they are one of the most useful/efficient ways to provide public safety. For example, people having bad intentions are more likely to attack innocent people in crowded areas. In addition, it is not easy to determine malicious people in such places so as to prevent attacks. Bomb attacks can be shown as an example. Therefore, we can see that law enforcement cameras do not abuse people’s private lives and they enable the public to live safely.

Secondly, law enforcement cameras stand out as one of the most prominent evidence in court. To illustrate, when a person commits a crime, law enforcement cameras can register such a situation easier than normal cameras. Moreover, these records can be important evidence for court. Therefore, these cameras provide innocent people with testimony. Overall, law enforcement cameras are not an invasion of privacy and they support testimony in court.

On the other hand, some opponents think that law enforcement cameras are an invasion of privacy because they believe that not everyone is a criminal. In other words, these cameras may violate innocent people’s privacy. This actually seems reasonable to some extent but they do not bear the other side of the coin in mind because these cameras are an effective way to catch criminals. Moreover, the records in these cameras are not shown to everyone. They are very rarely used by people who are not responsible and they get punished when they do it.. In short, these cameras do not harm innocent people’s privacy and they provide public security.

To conclude, there are people who think that law enforcement cameras are an invasion/violation of privacy because they believe that private lives of innocent people should not be recorded by law enforcement cameras. In contrast, some people consider that law enforcement cameras are not an invasion of privacy because of/thanks to providing public safety and supporting testimony in court. It is my contention that law enforcement cameras are one of the most effective ways to build a peaceful environment. (453 words)

PROTECTING AREAS OF NATURAL BEAUTY (This is a 70)

The population has been increasing in the world day by day,causing nature to suffer.In other words, this exponential increase of/in population damages the environment.However,  it must not be forgotten that natural beauty has a vital role to play in living a healthy and happy life.Therefore, people should protect nature.There are a variety of benefits of protecting places of natural beauty, two of which are environmental and ecnomic benefits.

First of all, one of the most widely recognized favorable influences of natural beauty is environmental benefits. For example, people try to protect natural beauty, which  can  make it easy for people to live comfortably because the better protected the places of natural beauty, the greater the number of healthier people. In addition, the number of places of natural beauty should be increased because when this is the case, harmful gases produced by factories or people may be decreased and the air may become cleaner.Overall,people should protect nature because the fact that  natural beauty can reduce most types of pollution can be regarded as one of the most important environmental benefits.

Secondly, another positive impact of protecting places of natural beauty is economic benefits.For instance, if a country protects its natural beauty, both its own citizens and people living in other countries can visit it. People come to see it, which provides economic power for the country. In other words, the protection of natural beauty can be one of the most important sources of revenue for countries.In short, the fact that a country protects  the places of natural beauty might make a great contribution to the increase in its economic power.

To conclude, it must not be forgottten that natural beauty should be protected, which can/will provide both people and countries with a lot of opportunities. Environmental and economic benefits can be given as examples.It is a well-known fact that the more the increase in the number of places of natural beauty, the more the decrease in environmental and economic problems. (338 words)

DRIVERLESS CARS (This essay would get a 70 or 75)

Technology has been developing faster and faster and it will continue to do so. With the rising importance of technology, there has been a rise in devices which use artificial intelligence. Self driving cars can be given as an example. However, driverless cars have caused many debates in the world. Some people think that they will be beneficial while others believe that they will be dangerous. Therefore it is fair to assume that driverless cars have both advantages and disadvantages.

Driverless cars provide considerable advantages in terms of controlling speed limits, decreasing driver errors and removing the need for driving licenses. First of all, autonomous devices are able to perceive objects in the immediate vicinity by using technologies and techniques such as radar, lidar, GPS and computer vision. This makes it easy for people to control speed limits. Secondly, thanks to the control of speed limits, driver errors can be decreased and the number of traffic accidents can be reduced. Finally, currently, disabled and older people are not able to get driving licenses, which reduces their mobility and impacts their quality of life. Thanks to driverless cars, driving licenses will not be necessary for these people and they will live without the help of other people. In short, driverless cars should not just be written off as an impossible idea but this is not the whole picture.

Although there are plenty of advantages of driverless cars, there are a lot of disadvantages. Firstly, if people buy driverless cars, unemployment will increase because drivers such as taxi and truck drivers will lose their jobs. Another disadvantage is that there may be a computer malfunction or an attempt at hacking into the onboard system in the driverless cars. When this is the case, people will not be able to control their cars and this may have serious implications .In other words, it can cause accidents involving injuries and even death. Finally, the infrastructure and roads are not best suited for driverless cars in most countries, especially in Turkey .Lack of modern roads and street lights can be regarded as an example. Therefore, these may have negative impacts on the use of driverless cars.

As a result, there are people who think that driverless cars have disadvantages in terms of unemployment, hacking, computer malfunction while others think they have advantages in terms of controlling speed limits, decreasing driver errors and removing the need for driving licenses. It is my contention that driverless cars will be a useful invention for the world but measures should be taken against the possible pitfalls outlined above.

ROBOTICS (This essay would get a 70 )

Technology has been developing faster and faster and it will continue to do so. With the rising importance of technology, artificial intelligence is on the rise in developed and developing countries. Robots can be given as an example of artificial intelligence. The link between robots and developing technology is obvious. However, whether the development of robots should be supported has caused many debates .Therefore, people are mainly divided into groups, one of which supports the view that the development of robots should be supported while the other opposes to it. I agree with the former opinion. First of all, robots have positive influences on the health sector. For instance, a robot which is known as Da Vinci was invented .It has both been enabling doctors to operate comfortably, and patients to recover faster. Flexibility and precision are two of the most important qualities good surgeons should have. By making these possible, robots enable doctors to achieve success in operations. Moreover, this robot can decrease the risk of operations. Overall, the development of robots should be supported because robots might make a great contribution to the healthcare sector. Secondly, robots will help people discover new jobs for themselves. The development of robotics will cause new fields of employment to emerge opening up many new areas of employment. In other words, the development of robots will make people happy because it can decrease the unemployment rate. Moreover, new job opportunities can promote other innovations in different areas. As a result, robots will be good for business in every respect and their development should be supported. On the other hand, some opponents think that the development of robots should be stopped because they claim that robots cause people to lose their creativity. They further argue that robots cause people to be consumers instead of being producers. This actually seems reasonable to some extent but they do not bear the other side of the coin in mind because robots enable people to save time and effort. When this is the case, people can develop themselves with ease because they can cooperate with robots. It must not be forgotten that the more developed the robots, the greater the opportunities they provide. To conclude, there are people who consider that the development of robots should not be supported because they believe that robots cause people to suffer lack of creativity. In contrast, some people think that the development of robots is necessary because robots provide both the health sector and people with a lot of benefits. It is my contention that the latter opinion is more logical because we live in the age of technology. --

IS TORTURE EVER JUSTIFIED? (This is a 70)

One of the most controversial issues which is being discussed today is whether torture is justified or not. Throughout history, torture has been used as an interrogation technique whose varieties are waterboarding, sleep deprivation and drowning. According to UN laws, every state must also abolish torture. Some people think that torture is a necessary technique to extract information whereas others think that it is sadistic, cruel and inhumane behaviour.

Proponents of torture justify their claims saying that information is sometimes more valuable than morals. For instance, what if a bomber plants a bomb in a public place, how could we learn the location of the bomb? In this case, terrorist attacks make torture legal; however, opponents of torture argue that torture is cruel behaviour. Waterboarding means literally drowning someone to death and then bringing him back to life a moment later. Proponents do not bear the other side of the coin in mind because the suspect could be innocent. Torture has long-term traumatic effects on people who are subjected to torture. Therefore, after torture, innocent people cannot lead a meaningful life.

Proponents of torture assert that information is a weapon in the war against terrorism. Currently, extremist terrorist groups like Isis capture families to demand  a ransom. They think that torture is a more effective interrogation technique in this case. Although they are right to a certain extent, their arguments are outdated due to the fact that there is another technique which provides information. According to psychologists, using diplomacy is the most effective way. Therefore, torture is unacceptable.

In conclusion, taking all things into consideration, torture is a growing concern all over the world. Although it is prohibited by law, some governments continue to use it. Torture is not a solution to anything, on the contrary, it raises  ethical problems.

EUGENICS (This is a 70)

Although eugenics stands out as one of the most important genetic sciences, the majority of people do not pay attention to this science because they do not know the meaning of the term eugenics. Eugenics can be defined as a practice which aims to improve or impair the racial qualities of humans either physically or mentally. Therefore, this issue can be considered from different angles. There are positive aspects of eugenics while there are negative aspects as well.

First of all, eugenics provides considerable advantages in terms of genetic diseases and for procreation. Firstly, eugenics may prevent genetic diseases such as Down syndrome, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis and the like. For example, prenatal diagnosis, which provides people with a lot of information about their unborn child, is one of the applications of eugenics. Secondly, women who are infertile or do not have a partner can have children thanks to eugenics because this science enables a single woman to become pregnant.

Although there are plenty of advantages of eugenics, there are negative sides as well. Eugenics has been used to abuse humans’ fundamental rights and to remove certain ethnic groups .For instances, the fact that Hitler tried to remove the Jewish communities by means of eugenics can be regarded as one of the most important negative influences of eugenics. Another major drawback of eugenics is that it decreases the genetic diversity of the species .People cannot create unwanted traits. Therefore, eugenics has a negative impact on genetic diversity .Finally,  eugenics causes people to develop the wrong kinds of beliefs. To illustrate, people think that it is very easy to create things which are not absent in the world thanks to eugenics. This causes people to try to be a God.

As a result, there are people who think that eugenics has disadvantages in terms of the abuse of humans’ basic rights, the decrease in genetic diversity and the emergence/ development of the wrong sorts of beliefs in contrast to people who believe that it is beneficial with regards to the prevention of genetic diseases and women wishing to become pregnant. It is my contention that, the disadvantages of eugenics outweigh the advantages of it.

CAUSES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (This is a 65)

People love each other and they want to have a happy family after they have known each other for a long or short time. However, they do not always have a happy family and domestic violence may emerge. In other words, domestic violence is on the rise in developed and developing countries especially Turkey and has become a reason for concern. It may have serious detrimental consequences. There are a variety of reasons  why  domestic violence exists, two of which are abuse during childhood and a patriarchal society.

First of all, abuse during childhood can be regarded as one of the most outstanding reasons for the existence of  domestic violence in the world. It is a well-known fact that most people witnessing  family violence during childhood are more likely to be prone to violence. For example, if a child grows up having witnessed or having been on the receiving end of  domestic violence, he/she will be more likely to  use alcohol or drugs. This causes these people to develop a tendency to violence. It must not be forgotten that a violent past leads to  domestic violence.

Another reason for domestic violence is a patriarchal society. The majority of people, especially Turkish men, think that men have higher status than women. This situation causes male privilege to emerge. For instance, women, especially Turkish women, complain about marital discord and are dissatisfied with  their marriages. When a disagreement  occurs between partners, men, who believe that they have higher status, resort to  violence against their partners instead of communicating with them. Therefore, a patriarchal society has a vital role to play  in the existence / the  emergence of domestic violence.

In conclusion, children who are exposed to  family violence and men who think that they have higher status than  women in society stand out as reasons for  domestic violence. It is my contention that  domestic violence means the violation of human rights, especially women’s. If the necessary measures are not taken, this problem can have fatal consequences.

THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF KINDERGARTEN (This a good 60)

 In today's world, the number of working women is increasing rapidly, and generally these women cannot spend their time at home. Therefore, they cannot take care of  their children. However, children cannot meet their individual needs. Parents send their children to kindergarten in order to meet children's  needs. Kindergartens have some advantages and disadvantages in terms of the development of children.

 The first advantage of kindergartens is that they have many instructive toys. These toys provide children with a chance to play and learn. In addition,  another advantage of kindergartens is that children can be with children of their own age. This means that children come face to toface with other children, and spend time together with them. Thus, children can develop their communication skills and learn about empathy. For instance, they have to spend  time in the same  environment, and have good relationships with their peers and teachers; consequently, they improve their communication skills and develop feelings of empathy.

 Secondly, kindergartens have not only advantages, but also two disadvantages. The  major disadvantage  is that children get into a routine and suffer stress at an early age. This situation affects children's psychological development, and causes many disturbances such as stress. The second disadvantage of kindergarten is that children who are sent to kindergarten cannot see their parents adequately; as a result, they miss  their parents.

 In conclusion, there are both advantages and disadvantages of kindergartens for children. However I believe that kindergartens are vital for society despite (in spite of) their disadvantages, because they provide many opportunities to children.

CHILD MARRIAGE (70/ 75)

            The meaning of the term marriage is living happily ever after like in the fairy tales for many people. However, unfortunately, most children are married without even listening to  one  fairy tale. Although it is known that child marriage is a human rights violation, each year, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18. This means  28 girls every minute. According to data, over 700 million women alive today were married as children. Moreover, despite laws against it, child marriage is fueled by gender inequality, poverty and traditions.

            To begin with gender inequality, in many undeveloped countries such as Nigeria, The Central African Republic and Bangladesh, inequalities between women and men in society are more apparent. In  these societies, child marriage is common since girls are not considered  as important  as boys. Daughters are usually seen as a burden for their families. Therefore, when their daughters are married, the families think they transferred these burdens to their daughters’ husbands’ families. Furthermore, child marriage is also driven by patriarchal values and the desire to control female sexuality. For instance, how a girl should behave, how a girl should dress or when a girl should marry are all determined by social convention . Only a man can answer these questions because the man is a breadwinner. In addition to this, a girl represents the honor of her family in closed societies. Hence, families closely guard their daughters’ sexuality and virginity in order to protect the family honor. These families think that their daughters may become pregnant outside of marriage and this causes shame and  brings dishonor to  their family. Consequently, gender inequality may bring about child marriage.

            Child marriage is a traditional practice, which exists in many cultures such as the Roma,  seems normal because it has happened for generations. In some communities such as Chad, Mali and Ethiopia, when girls start to menstruate, they become women in the eyes of the community. Therefore, marriage is used as a tool to give the girls their status a wife and mother by their families. however, although they had to experience this difficult  situation, they are only children and their bodies are still undeveloped. Because of this, these marriages may harm   girls. For example, an 8 years old Yemeni child bride was married to a 40 years old man and then, she died of vaginal injuries on their wedding night. Namely, traditions cause child brides and child brides may die , but everything can be different as Graça Machel, widow of Melson Mendela, said, traditions are made by people, and people can unmake them.

            Poverty, especially, in the undeveloped countries such as Bangladesh and Somali leads to child marriage because floods and droughts disrupt girls’ lives. Hence, their families want to push them into their daughters’ husbands’ families. thus, adding to the risk of child marriage. For instance, in Bangladesh and northeast India, floods made poverty worse and closed schools causing families to  see marriage as an alternative way for their daughters. Another example is in Somali and Mozambique: due to drought, many families living in these countries, families push daughters to marry (marry off their daughters)  since they no longer have to feed them. Consequently, the effects of poverty on child marriage shouldn’t be ignored.

            To sum up, the number of child marriages is  increasing day by day thanks to poverty, gender inequality and tradition. However, no  reason should be a pretext for child marriage. If a solution isn’t found for child marriage, the global number of women married as children will reach 1.2 billion by 2050. Therefore, it should be understood that children are children, not wives or mothers.

           

               Neray Pala 

WHAT COULD BE DONE TO PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (This is a 60)

Sustainable Development basically means meeting the human needs without harming the environment. The world has tended to produce new sustainable things since people became aware of unplanned urbanization and global warming. These days, people are debating a question that is how to save the world? However, there are various measures that should be taken to create a new world.

The first solution to save the world is saving the water. Humans need water like all living things but we are consuming it wastefully. For example, in agricultural irrigation farmers can use distilling water technology to avoid wasting water. Another example is to generate harvesting rain water systems for homes and buildings. In this way, people can gather the rain water and disinfect it before allowing it to mix in the soil.

The second is creating more bright green cities. One way to achieve this aim is to make zero energy buildings which are using smart green technology. For example, solar panels, smart light switches which can control themselves according to sunlight and smart heating and cooling systems to minimize energy use. Another way is growth management. When cities are growing, nature should not be changed and population must be controlled against the rapid growth.

The last solution is changing the political perspectives. Obviously, The Kyoto Protocol does not work completely and effectively. Governments have to strive to prevent global warming and uncontrolled urbanization. Governments' approaches are very important to run a green policy. For example they can strengthen the law against factory waste, inappropriate structures, illegal hunting and they can improve renewable energy systems.

Finally, there are several measure to create a sustainable world. Living in a new world is not impossible if we save the water, protect nature, practice energy saving policies and change the political approaches. These solutions are very important to provide sustainability.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TETRIS (This is a 65)

Tetris is a simple mechanical game which draws the attention of millions of people of all ages. Although this game was launched on the World in 1986 and many developed games have appeared since that time, it is still  indispensable for  many people;  this is because tetris is a compelling game that causes The Tetris Effect and also has some benefits in people's view.

Playing tetris causes The Tetris Effect by renewing the blocks and creating addiction in a person who has played the game at least 5 minutes. This situation occurs because human beings like tidying something up or putting some objects in order as seen from tetris. Therefore, many mechanical games are based on tidying up such as tetris, snooker, or puzzle.

Tetris doesn't teach us much;however, it focuses our attention on our aims. According to psychological research, playing tetris with its Tetris Effect helps mentally sick people that suffer from the bad memories they have gotten through experience. When these people play tetris in addition to their psychological treatment, the game can affect  them like a cure that makes them stop  considering the bad memories. Moreover,the  tetris effect can be turned into  an assistant that helps people to pick up positive ideas and put the ideas in order by giving priority to the positive one.

One of the secrets behind the incredible success of tetris is its ability to create  the Zeigarnik Effect on the players. Zeigarnik Effect is a psychological phenomenon and one of the reasons that make people  addicted to tetris. For example, many students at boun study hard for the quarter exam. They memorize all the words they have learnt and scan all grammar rules again and again. However, after the exam all this information is forgotten immediately just because of Zeigarnik Effect.

The Zeigarnik Effect is based on incomplete tasks which stick in the memory. Likewise,  tetris attracts a person’s interest by creating new different shaped blocks,so this unfinished task keeps the person’s attention on the game. It continuously throws the blocks and the player tries to direct them by using the control keys. Therefore, the player is focused on the unfinished situation and cant give it up easily.

Shawn Achor, a professor of Harvard University,claims that playing tetris improves our ability to concentrate and  it also makes it easier to realize our aims. However, being in a tetris competition with someone or forgetting all the real World when playing tetris can be irritating for the other people around you.

THE EFFECTS OF THE CRUSADES (This is a 70)

The  Orthodox and Catholic Churches acted together against Muslims in the 11^th century in order to regain Jerusalem, which has of a great importance for Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In 11^th century, the Pope Urban II encouraged Christians to take part in holy wars. Religious causes were only visible reasons for the crusades there were also different causes such as economic and political reasons. On the other hand, the crusades had some important effects on the West and the East.

            The crusades had great effects on the Western countries in that they caused some modifications in the religious, economic and political issues. Early on, the crusades contributed to the increase in the wealth of the church and the power of the papacy; however, in the course of time, the church lost reliability among Christians. Moreover, thanks to the crusades, commerce flourished between the East and the West. Some Western countries such as Venice, Pisa and Genoa acquired great wealth, and people’s affluence increased and it triggered the period of the Renaissance. Furthermore, thanks to the crusades, the political atmosphere of Europe changed positively. In the middle Ages, the Western kings struggled with feudalism but the crusades contributed to undermine feudalism in the West so, central authority gained power again.

            Not only the West but also the East was influenced by the crusades. Owing to the crusades, most of the countries in the Anatolia, Syria and Palestine were faced with economic and political difficulties. The crusaders plundered a lot of cities. Moreover, the crusades stopped the advance of the Turks and the fall of Constantinople was postponed for three centuries. In addition, owing to the crusades, Islamic countries lost ground against The Mongol Invasion.

            To sum up, the crusades continued from 11^th century to 13^th century. The crusades did harm both to the West and the East. Christianity and Islam provided incentives for holy war or jihad but religious causes were used only for show.