Sentence:  Within the membership of this group , as has been found true of men in other professional or trade associations , the most ready portrayal of oneself to `` the public '' <WSD>is</WSD> that of a neutral agent simply serving the interests of a seller or buyer and mediating between them . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)