Styling links

<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">

<!-- DISPLAY THIS HORIZONTALLY -->
<ul class="horizontal">
    <li><a href="#">News</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Sport</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Weather</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Business</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Entertainment</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Features</a></li>
</ul>

<!-- DISPLAY THIS VERTICALLY -->
<ul class="vertical">
    <li><a href="#">News</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Sport</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Weather</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Business</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Entertainment</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Features</a></li>
</ul>

style.css

* { /* CSS reset entire page */
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

/* --- HORIZONTAL --- */

ul.horizontal  {
  padding: 20px;
  background-color: chartreuse;
  white-space: nowrap;
  overflow-x: scroll;
}

ul.horizontal li {
  border-bottom: 15px dashed salmon;
  list-style-type: none;
  display: inline;
}

ul.horizontal li a {
  background-color: cyan;
  color: red;
  border-left: 10px solid yellow;
  border-right: 10px double green;
  /*margin or padding: top right bottom left*/
  padding: 10px 10px 10px 40px;
  text-decoration: none;
}

ul.horizontal li a:hover {
  background-color: white;
}

/* --- VERTICAL --- */

ul.vertical  {
  width: 300px;
  padding: 20px;
  background-color: chartreuse;
}

ul.vertical li {
  border-bottom: 15px dashed salmon;
  list-style-type: none;
}

ul.vertical li a { 
  width: auto;
  display: block;
  background-color: cyan;
  color: red;
  border-left: 10px solid yellow;
  border-right: 10px double green;
  /*margin or padding: top right bottom left*/
  padding: 10px 10px 10px 40px;
  text-decoration: none;
}

ul.vertical li a:hover {
  background-color: white;
}

questions:

1. make this colour scheme look better (it looks terrible).
2. devise your own navigation styling style using the placeholder links provided in the html example above.