Sentence:  In one now-historic first interview , for example , the transcript ( reproduced from the book , The First Five Minutes ) goes like this : The therapist 's level tone <WSD>is</WSD> bland and neutral - he has , for example , avoided stressing `` you '' , which would imply disapproval ; or surprise , which would set the patient apart from other people . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)