def merge_two_dicts(dict_1, dict_2):
    """Given two dicts, merge them into a new dict as a shallow copy.
    :param dict_1: dictionary 1
    :param dict_2: dictionary 2
    :return: merged dictionary
    """
    if not dict_1:
        return dict_2
    if not dict_2:
        return dict_1

    out_dict = dict_1.copy()
    out_dict.update(dict_2)
    return out_dict