While it is true that Americans believe climbing the educational ladder leads to success, they are less certain that intellectual achievement is the only important factor leading to success . A competitive personality is seen as important to success , especially in men . The development of social and political skills are also considered to be very important.
　　 To help Americans develop these other important skills , schools have added a large number of extracurricular (课程外) activities to daily life at school . This is especially true of high schools and colleges and extends down into elementary schools as well .
　　 Athletics , frequently called “competitive sports ,”are perhaps the most important in teaching students , particularly boys ,the “winning spirit ,” At times , athletic teams seem to become more important to some students and their parents than the academic programs offered by the schools .Americans believe that education is （　　）