Simplify 7x + (x – 4)(x + 5) – 5x.

First expand the product: (x − 4)(x + 5) = x² + x − 20. Then combine the remaining like terms, 7x − 5x = 2x, so the expression becomes x² + x − 20 + 2x = x² + 3x − 20. The correct choice is x² + 3x − 20.

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