What is the first step in simplifying the expression 11 x minus 2 minus 3 times open paren 1 minus 7 x close paren squared divided by open paren x plus 1 close paren ?

Use the order of operations: simplify inside parentheses, then evaluate exponents before multiplication, division, addition, or subtraction. The binomial (1 − 7x) is squared, so the first step is to square that binomial. The correct choice is “square the binomial.”

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