Exercício: para o Vestibular de inglês

Complete the following text with the correct form of the verb:

A long time ago London _____ an important city, but it _____ different from London today. There
_____ not very many big buildings. There _____ a lot of small boats on the river.

A) is, is, are, are
B) was, is, are, are
C) was, was, were, were
D) was, is, were, were
E) had been, is, were, are

London, big buildings, small boats does not refer to things or animals (it)?
- PUC 1997