Sentence:  The ramblings on life , death , and the wonder of it all <WSD>are</WSD> distressing ; the love-making , perhaps because it is pale and low-key when one has been conditioned to expect harsh colors and explicitness , is often charming ; the automobile racing bears little relation to reality . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)