Using the Math strategy for this one, the phrase “rather” gives this a negative logic, the keyword I was looking at was security. So the obvious choice would be the opposite, option (E) vulnerability
However, when I read the sentence as a whole it didn’t make sense.
Rather than enhancing a country’s security, the successful development of nuclear weaponscould serve at first to incrase the country’s vulnerability
What does that even mean?! Rather, option (C) made more sense to me, since the development of nuclear weapons would first increase the country’s responsibility . I have no basis of math strategy for this, but it made more sense to me holistically.
rather is contrasting the first sentence with second sentence.
first sentence says “enhancing security” so it means ‘very protected’
second sentence must contrast that - so a good guess would be “'weak” or “less secure”.(negative )
Note that the entire second sentence must say that the country’s security be “weak” or “less secure”.
second sentence already says "increasing " .so the blank must be “weakness”.
" at first to incrase the country’s ‘vulnerability(weakness)’" means to decrease the protection of country.
" first increase the country’s responsibility" would actually be the opposite or out of context. If a country is more responsible, then country manages its security better.(maybe outside knowledge) . So this would be a positive sentence .
Rather is contrast word here. In s1, enhance is Synonymous with increase in S2, so, we can focus on contrasting with security. Only option is vulnerability
Regarding responsibility, dont bring outside knowledge, get yourself limited to sentence
