国内英语新闻:Bomb shelter, library, and cool offices - local Chinese discover new shelters from summer hea

"The environment here is good for self-study, and we love free tea and air-conditioning," said Tao Yan, a student at Jiangxi Normal University who is preparing for her post-graduate exams.

"But to have a seat, we arrive before the library opens and wait in line," Tao added.

High temperatures this summer and an ever higher zeal for knowledge among ordinary Chinese have joined forces to overwhelm libraries in Chinese cities, according to Zhou Jianwen, curator of the Provincial Library.

"We have opened our conference rooms and auditoriums as public reading rooms," said Zhou, "but that still fails to accommodate the influx of readers."

Meanwhile, Wang Yumei, a college graduate in east China' s Anhui Province, has temporarily reduced her dream job requirements to include only one thing: an air-conditioned workplace.

"It is distressing to be job hunting on such muggy days, and my only wish is to sit in an office enjoying air conditioning," said Wang.

Though she may not know it, Wang has become a member of the "summer heat slackers", or job hunters who pursue cool, comfortable positions as temporary shelter from the summer heat.

Zhang, a graduate from a university in Anhui, is willing to "denigrate" himself as a cybercafe supervisor, with a meager salary of 1,000 yuan (146 U.S. dollars) a month.

"My job is as simple as keeping these computers in good conditions, and what allures me is the strong air conditioning here," said Wang.

And Wang is determined to quit his job and find a better one as soon as the hot summer ends.

However, the increasing number of "summer heat slackers" this summer has created headaches for employers who want long-term and loyal employees.

"We don' t welcome such graduates," a human resource manager with an emporium told Xinhua abruptly.

Many employers have lowered the first-three-month salary to dissuade such "speculators" in the job market.

"We now check more carefully when we hire people," said Zhu Hong, a supermarket manager in Nanjing. "We don' t want to be shelters for anyone."