Come to grips with means to begin to understand or deal with a difficult matter. The correct answer is this meaning because the expression is used figuratively, not only by its literal words.

Examples:

• Students must come to grips with the causes of climate change.
• In an HSC essay, Come to grips with can express this meaning: to begin to understand or deal with a difficult matter.
• When this expression appears in a passage, connect Come to grips with with the idea of to begin to understand or deal with a difficult matter.