Sentence:  On the contrary , even in the heart of `` the Bible belt '' itself , as can be attested by any one who is called to work there , the industrial and technological revolutions have long <WSD>been</WSD> under way , together with the corresponding changes in man 's picture of himself and his world . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)