问答题 The eighteenth-century British thinker Edmund Burke made the following observation about the benefits of opposition: "He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. "
In your view, to what extent can we benefit from opposition to our ideas, opinions, or desires. Write an essay of no less than 300 words that defends challenges, or qualifies Burke"s statement about the benefits of opposition. You should present your argument with reasons and examples.
Please write your essay on your Answer Sheet.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】[Student"s Sample]
The Benefits of Opposition

Whenever the word "opposition" is mentioned, it often conjures up a negative image in our mind. So we tend to dislike it. But is opposition so hateful? Is it doing us no good at all? The answer to this may not be that absolute. A second thought will tell us that opposition in many cases will prove to be not harmful but rather beneficial.
To start with, opposition enables us to think from different perspectives. No one in the world dare claim that his ideas are faultless. In this sense, our opposition will serve as a reminder of the fault in our ideas. Hence we can better our ideas. In our daily life, different people are likely to solve problems in quite different ways. Those who are opposed to our solution will definitely shed some new light on what is the best to do. It is in this sense that we believe opposition is doing good to us.
Besides, opposition can make us stronger and more confident. Stories about goats and wolves are a good case in point. It is said that those goats often in the danger of being killed by wolves tend to grow stronger while those with no such a threat are liable to be weak and vulnerable. And so with us human beings. Our rivals or enemies do constitute great challenges to us, but they will at the same time drive us to learn more and thus we become more skilled and competent. Without their opposition or challenge, we will slack .bit by bit and are finally unable to keep pace with the times.
Last but not least, even if the opposition from our rivals stands on no ground, it still can serve as a mirror to us and urge us to be more cautious. Indeed, never can one be cautious enough. And thanks to their opposition, we may have avoided many unnecessary mistakes that may have otherwise been made.
In a word, opposition should not be viewed as a nightmare but rather a blessing in disguise. Opposition allows us to think twice and hence more prepared to overcome any difficulty we may encounter in our life. So, what harm to us?