National Adult Literacy Database

June 7, 1999

James Adam was born in Merritt, B.C. and his birthday is May 19. He moved from Merritt to Keremeos and then to Cranbrook, B.C. He attended a school in Keremeos, and he was put in a class where they didn't do much school work, so it put him back. When he moved to Cranbrook, he was the oldest in the class, so it was hard to fit in and this made him dislike school. James' long term goal is to help others to reach their goal, and to work with the elderly. He worked on a lot of farms, gas stations and hotels, where he didn't have to read and write. He was just getting by. Now, he lives with his partner and is free to do anything he puts his mind to to reach his goal.

 

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Country vs. Cities

by James Adam

In the city, the skyscrapers stand tall into the sky. Everywhere you look, you see concrete for miles. The air seems to be heavier and you can smell the pollution in the air. When you walk around the streets, you can see the homeless. In this day there are more people, cars and noise on the streets. You can see the stress in the people's faces. At night the city lights are so strong that you can only see the brightest stars. However, it is easy to get around the city on the bus service. There are a lot of places to visit and a lot of things to do and see. You can see some of the wild animals that live in the city such as raccoons, squirrels, skunks, birds and a lot of house pets.

In the country the air is so clean and it smells fresh. You can see for miles and it is green with a lot of trees, lakes and rivers. In the clear water, it is loaded with fish, where you can toss a line in and catch a big one for your dinner. It is so peaceful and beautiful as far as the eye can see. The homes are spread out, there are a lot of farms where they raise food and animals such as cows, horses, pigs chickens and dogs. There are also a lot of wild animals such as bears, deer, elk, moose and birds. When you are in the country you need a vehicle to get around. At night it gets dark and you can see the stars. They shine as bright as the moon light shines. You can hear a lot of sounds and it is so peaceful. There are a lot of beautiful places to see. A lot of people like to camp in the mountains where there are lakes.