Random beginners HTML questions

I'm sorry for sounding abrupt but for an HTML task I have I dont understand a/o know how to do these following things

Just what the flip does “make a rule for…” and “make a style rule” in HTML coding mean ? >: (

How do I create an unordered list in the nav, with each link as a list item?

How do I make a "class" called hcenter ?

How do I make a "class" called hcenter that will center text horizontally?

How do I apply a center "class" to the paragraph after the nav?

How do I create a "class" called title that applies the colour firebrick, sets the font to 200%, sets the font family to Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; and applies bold?

How do I make an appropriate style rule that sets the image such that the text that follows will be in the middle, vertically?.

How do I make an appropriate style rule that sets the default link colour to blue with no underline?

How do I make an appropriate style rule that sets the hover to add the underline.

How do I make an appropriate style rule that changes the link colour to gold at the moment the user clicks on it.

How do I make a dependent class for a li element?

How do I make a rule for the nav element that sets the background to black, and the line height to 200%.

How do I make a dependent class for a ul element with a jpg image?.

If it helps I'll up my code on request but for now I think just explanations of this stuff will help.Thanks.

Can you quickly reassure me that these aren't homework questions? Because they really do look like homework questions.

regarding "class", maybe this page will help you to get started:
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/css/article.php/3470231/So-You-Want-CSS-Classes-and-IDs-Huh.htm

Yes and no.There instructions that I've reworded as question b/c I hardly have a clue as to how to do them.-_- I WISH they homework questions that I just write down the answer and hand them in,instead of having to make them do something more practical.