The correct choice is (d) 1317
The explanation is: The number of ways to choose 3 people out of 9 is ^15C3. Then, number of ways to choose 5 people out of (15-3) = 12 is ^12C5. Finally, the number of ways to choose 4 people out of (12-4) = 8 is ^8C4. Hence, by the rule of product, ^15C3 + ^12C5 + ^8C4 = 1317.