The questions below refer to the selection “digging.” the word in the title refers both to digging in the earth and to — a. understanding, appreciating c. dissecting bodies b. plowing the seas d. cutting harvest crops

Digging can also be used in a figurative way, for example, "I'm digging through my homework", it means that I'm understanding my homework and that I'm trying to dig through it, in order to find the answer! Your  answer would be A!

The constant presence of diseases or infectious agents within a given geographic area or population group. it may also refer to the usual prevalence of a given disease with such area or group. it includes holoendemic and hyperendemic diseases. a holoendemic disease is one for which a high prevalent level of infection begins early in life and affects most of the child population, leading to a state of equilibrium such that the adult population shows evidence of the disease much less commonly than do children (malaria in many communities is a holoendemic disease). a hyperendemic disease is one that is constantly present at a high incidence and/or prevalence rate and affects all groups equally. so probably family history.