Read the passage about steam powered road vehicles and answer the vocabulary question: In the sentence "Sentiment against steam powered road vehicles led to the Locomotive Acts of 1865", what does the word "Sentiment" most nearly mean?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your ability to infer the meaning of a word from context. The passage describes how people reacted to steam powered road vehicles, and it uses the word "Sentiment" in the sentence "Sentiment against steam powered road vehicles led to the Locomotive Acts of 1865." You must choose the word that best captures the feeling expressed by "sentiment against" in this context.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Key sentence: "Sentiment against steam powered road vehicles led to the Locomotive Acts of 1865." - Options: "Depression", "Fascination", "Celebration", "Resentment". - The phrase "against" indicates a negative attitude or opposition. - The Locomotive Acts imposed restrictions, suggesting public or political pressure against such vehicles.

Concept / Approach:
"Sentiment" in this context refers to the prevailing public opinion or feeling. Because the sentence talks about "sentiment against" something, the feeling is clearly negative, not positive. The most appropriate synonym among the options that expresses a negative, hostile, or disapproving attitude is "resentment". The other options either describe positive feelings or a different kind of negative feeling unrelated to opposition.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the phrase "sentiment against". The preposition "against" shows that the feeling is directed oppositely towards steam powered road vehicles. Step 2: Understand that such negative sentiment was strong enough to influence legislation, leading to the Locomotive Acts, which were restrictive laws. Step 3: Examine "resentment". This word means a feeling of anger or displeasure about something one perceives as unfair or undesirable, often leading to opposition. Step 4: Compare "resentment" with the context: people likely resented steam powered vehicles because of noise, danger, or disruption, and this resentment could drive restrictive laws. Step 5: Examine "depression". This refers to a low mood or economic downturn, not a feeling "against" a specific technology. Step 6: Examine "fascination" and "celebration", which are clearly positive feelings of admiration or joy, contradicting the idea of being "against" something. Thus, "resentment" is the correct choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
Try substituting each option into the sentence: "Resentment against steam powered road vehicles led to the Locomotive Acts of 1865" is logical; public resentment could push lawmakers to act. "Depression against" makes no sense. "Fascination against" and "Celebration against" are self contradictory, because fascination and celebration would create support, not opposition, and would not normally lead to restrictive acts. This substitution test confirms that "resentment" fits both grammatically and logically.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Depression" is about sadness or economic decline, not about opposition to something. "Fascination" means strong interest or attraction, which would encourage the development of steam vehicles rather than lead to restrictive laws. "Celebration" refers to joyful acknowledgement of something, again opposite to the negative tone signalled by "against". None of these words match the idea of negative public opinion driving regulation.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may focus only on the word "Sentiment" and recall that it can refer to emotions in general, then choose "depression" because it is a type of emotion. However, the presence of "against" is crucial; it clearly indicates a hostile or disapproving feeling directed at something. Always pay attention to the words immediately around the target vocabulary item, especially prepositions and outcome clauses, to determine the best synonym in context.

Final Answer:
Resentment is the correct meaning of "Sentiment" in the context of "Sentiment against steam powered road vehicles".