Please, revise and mark my writing - CPE practice

[angy84]

This piece of writing I'm posting is taken from CPE writing papers. It reads: "International traveller magazine is running a competition for the best article entitled A country of Contrasts. You decide to submit an entry. The article should describe the contrasts that make the country an interesting place to visit, to encourage the readers to explore the country as widely as possible.

Any feedback will be appreciated! Thanks!

A COUNTRY OF CONTRASTS
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Planning your holidays? Maybe, you are looking for an unforgettable week full of fun. O, perhaps you are more of an “artaholic” and monuments, museums and archaeology are your cup of tea. Whatever the case, stop searching: Italy is your destination!

WHAT THE BOOT OFFERS
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From North to South, from the knee up until the very tip of the toe, the European boot is the perfect place for any type of tourism. Art is side by side with nature: think of Rome or Florence, immersed as they are, in one of the greenest areas of the Italian peninsula, full of terraced vineyards. You find mountains or volcanoes casting their shadow upon sandy, crowded beaches: it’s the case of Naples, perhaps the epitome of contrasts in any sense. The rich and the poor, the posh and the shabby, the old and the new, the funny and the dangerous, a refined Italian and colloquial dialects, traditions and innovation: it all mixes up in Naples. Then, of course, there are the Appennins stretching throughout the entire boot, with valleys, plains and limpid lakes on its sides. If you love contrasts, then, visit Italy.

THE HEART OF ITALY
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Rome, the eternal city, as people usually call it. Ancient, and yet forever young. It is worth visiting Italy if only to let yourself be enchanted by Rome. The cultural offer you find in Rome is barely comparable to that of any other city, let alone its mixture of style in architecture. Here you can stroll along tiny cul-de-sacs, huge boulevards and age-old streets expecting to come across virtually anything: ancient ruins full of history, small shops packed with souvenirs, wonderful, 17[SUP]th[/SUP] century fountains, futuristic pubs, discos and restaurants… And then, of course, there is the food: from the sweetest ice-cream flavor you can taste everywhere in Italy, to the dangerously spicy Sicilian cuisine, passing through myriads of pastas, sauces, wines and, obviously, coffee.

Are you still there or have you already embarked on your journey to Italy?

 

[I.M. Knott]

Just a few suggestions for improving your thread:

"International traveller magazine is running a competition for the best article entitled A country of Contrasts.
Change this to "International Traveller magazine is running a competition for the best article entitled 'A country of Contrasts.' "

"O, perhaps you are more of an “artaholic” and monuments, museums and archaeology are your cup of tea. Whatever the case, stop searching: Italy is your destination!"
Change this to "Or, perhaps you are more of an “artaholic” and monuments, museums, and archaeology are your cup of tea. Whatever the case, stop searching: Italy is your destination!"

"immersed as they are, in one of the greenest areas of the Italian peninsula,"
Change this to "immersed as they are in one of the greenest areas of the Italian peninsula,"

"Rome, the eternal city, as people usually call it. Ancient, and yet forever young.
Change this to "Rome, "the eternal city" as people often call it, is ancient and yet forever young."

Your writing is good as it is. These changes are minor, but would be appreciated by educated readers.

 

[angy84]

Thank you so much for your precious feedback! I misspelt "Or" by accident. I'll be more careful with the inverted commas: I guess it's a matter of getting used to it.
Thanks again!