TEXT B Tile question of whether
war is inevitable is one which has concerned many of the world’s great writers.
Before considering this question, it will be useful to introduce some related
concepts. Conflict, de fined as opposition among social entities directed
against one another, is distinguished from competition, defined as opposition
among social entities independently striving for something which is in
inadequate supply. Competitors may not be aware of one another, while the
parties to a conflict are. Conflict and competition are both categories of
opposition, which has been defined as a process by which social entities
function in the disservice of one another. Opposition is thus contrasted with
cooperation, the process by which social entities function in the service of one
another. These definitions are necessary because it is important to emphasize
that competition between individuals or groups is inevitable in a world of
limited resources, but conflict is not. Conflict, nevertheless, is very likely
to occur, and is probably an essential and desirable element of human
societies. Many authors have argued for the inevitability of
war from the premise that in the struggle for existence among animal species,
only the fittest survive. In general, however, this struggle in nature is
competition, not conflict. Social animals, such as monkeys and cattle, fight to
win or maintain leadership of the group. The struggle for existence occurs not
in such fights, but in the competition for limited feeding areas and for the
occupancy of areas free from meat-eating animals. Those who fail in this
competition starve to death or become victims to other species. This struggle
for existence does not resemble human war, but rather the com petition of
individuals for jobs, markets, and materials. The essence of the struggle is the
competition for the necessities of life that are insufficient to satisfy
all. Among nations there is competition in developing resources,
trades, skills, and satisfactory way of life. The successful nations grow and
pros per; the unsuccessful decline. While it is true that this competition may
induce efforts to expand territory at the expense of others, and thus lead to
conflict, it cannot be said that war-like conflict among nations is inevitable,
although competition is. The author indicates in the passage that conflict ______
A．is an inevitable struggle resulting from competition B．reflects the struggle among social animals C．is an opposition among individual social entities D．can be avoided