Example 12 Given $x, y \in\left[-\frac{\pi}{4}, \frac{\pi}{4}\right], a \in R$, and $x^{3}+\sin x-2 a=0,4 y^{3}+\sin y \cos y+a=$ 0. Then $\cos (x+2 y)=$ $\qquad$
(1994, National High School Mathematics Competition)
Analysis: Since $2 a=x^{3}+\sin x=(-2 y)^{3}+$ $\sin (-2 y)$, if we let $f(t)=t^{3}+\sin t$, then we have $f(x)$ $=f(-2 y)$.

And $f(t)$ is strictly increasing on $\left[-\frac{\pi}{2}, \frac{\pi}{2}\right]$, so by monotonicity we have
$$
x=-2 y \text {, hence } x+2 y=0 \text {. }
$$

Thus $\cos (x+2 y)=1$.