LINKS TO A PRINTABLE TEXT DOCUMENT, AN IMAGE OF THE ORIGINAL WORK, AND EVIDENCE OF CERTIFICATION:
Chris Larham’s piece of creative writing in the form of an advisory letter to a nicotine-addicted pen friend [31 out of 40, 2001/2002] can be opened in a print-friendly text document format here
An image of the original work can be seen here
An image of Chris Larham’s ‘A’-grade A Level French certificate can be seen here
| FRANÇAIS | ENGLISH |
Une lettre de conseil à un ami qui est accro au tabac |
An advisory letter to a nicotine-addicted pen friend |
|
Cher Olivier, Je m’appelle Chris, et quand j’étais plus jeune je fumais – comme toi et 35 pour cent d’autres adolescents en France. J’ai commencé quand j’avais quatorze ans (l’âge moyen) et je fumais pendant quatre ans. J’ai arrêté à mon 18ième anniversaire car j’ai su que j’étais un adulte, donc je n’avais plus envie de fumer afin d’avoir l’air adulte. En premier lieu, je trouvais que l’état de manque était difficile, mais j’essayais quelques moyens pour aider le sevrage. La meilleure chose pour moi était l’exercice quand j’avais besoin d’une cigarette. L’exercice et de ne pas fumer est deux fois meillure pour ta santé et ton argent de poche! {Le fumeur adolescent moyen dépense la moitié de son argent à s’en acheter} Il y a aussi d’autres méthodes – le chewing gum, les patches, la respiration profonde; il faut trouver le meilleur pour toi… …Bonne chance, Chris Larham [^] |
Dear Olivier, My name is Chris, and I smoked when I was younger – like you and 35 per cent of all adolescents in France. I started when I was fourteen years old (the average age) and I smoked for four years. I stopped on my 18th birthday because I knew that I was an adult, thus I no longer wanted to smoke in order to appear older. In the beginning I found nicotine withdrawal difficult, but I tried several methods to help cessation. The best thing for me was to exercise when I needed a cigarette. Exercise and not smoking is twice as good for your health and your pocket money! {The average adolescent smoker spends half their money buying cigarettes} There are also other methods – chewing gum, patches, deep breathing exercises; it is necessary to find the best thing for you… …Good luck, Chris Larham [^] |
Forty-year-old father of three wonderful children [William, Seth, and Alyssa]. Works as an Assistant Technical Officer in the Sterile Services Department of Treliske Hospital, Cornwall. Enjoys jogging, web design, learning programming languages, and supporting Arsenal FC. Obtained a BA degree in English from the University of Bolton in 2008, and has continued to gain qualifications in a diverse range of subjects thereafter.
