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Chris Larham’s piece of A Level French analytical writing in the form of a philosophical discussion of whether people prefer the Imaginary to Reality [35 out of 45, 2001/2002] can be opened in a print-friendly text document format here
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An image of Chris Larham’s ‘A’-grade A Level French certificate can be seen here
| FRANÇAIS | ENGLISH |
“Pensez-vous que les gens préfèrent l’imaginaire à la réalité?“ |
“Do you think that people prefer the Imaginary to Reality?“ |
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Pour que je puisse répondre à cette question d’une façon objective, j’examinerai l’usage de l’alcool, du tabac, et de la drogue en France: trois exemples de l’échappement de la réalité. La France est bien connue pour sa tradition vinicole. Les régions vinicoles sont légion: Bordeaux; Languedoc; Champagne; L’Alsace… Dans les cafés, on peut acheter du cidre et de la bière à partir de 16 ans, et l’alcool fort à partir de 18 ans. L’usage est évidemment répandu: en France, 52,000 gens meurent chaque année des maladies liées à l’alcool. On voit de plus en plus de jeunes qui fument le tabac brun – les Gauloises, les Gitanes, et les Camels. La Loi Evin, 1991, a été introduite afin de protéger le public français des dangers de fumer des “nuitgraves”! Il est évident que beaucoup de monde français fume puisque 60,000 personnes meurent chaque année des maladies provoquées par le tabac en France. Quelques drogues en France actuellement sont: la cocaïne (de l’Amérique du sud); l’heroïne (de l’Afghanistan); et l’hasch (qui vient du Maroc). Il est difficile de contrôler la drogue car il y a des liens forts avec des autres pays, comme l’Allemagne. Un débat important en France en ce moment est si on doit dépénaliser des drogues douces ou non. Pour conclure, il me semble évident que les gens français font des choses dangereuses à leur santé afin de s’échapper à la grisaille du quotidien. Donc, je suis d’accord que les gens préfèrent l’imaginaire à la réalité. [^] |
In order to respond to this question in an objective manner, I will examine the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs in France: three examples of escapism from reality. France is well known for its wine-producing culture. There are numerous wine-producing regions: Bordeaux; Languedoc; Champagne; Alsace… You can buy cider and beer in cafes once you are 16 years old, and strong alcohol from the age of 18. Consumption is evidently widespread: in France, 52,000 people die each year from alcohol-related illnesses. One sees more and more young people smoking dark tobacco – Gauloises, Gitanes, and Camels. The ‘Loi Evin’ [1991] was introduced in order to protect the French public from the dangers of smoking “cancer sticks”! It is clear that many French people smoke since 60,000 people die each year in France from illnesses caused by tobacco. Some drugs currently in France are: cocaine (from South America); heroin (from Afghanistan); and hash (which comes from Morocco). It is difficult to control the trafficking of drugs because there are strong links with other countries, such as Germany. An important current debate in France concerns whether soft drugs should be decriminalized or not. To conclude, it seems obvious to me that French people do things that are dangerous to their health in order to escape the banality of everyday life. Therefore, I agree that people prefer the Imaginary to Reality. [^] |
Thirty-nine-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.
