Actually C and C++ belong to low-level programming languages as there syntax is somewhat like machine code also like assembly language. They composed of being compiled programming language It is not quite readable to human as of its syntax. Where Java, Python, Javascript are high-level programming languages as there syntax can be readable as there is higher abstraction by hiding core functionalities and mostly they are interpreted programming languages.
Why they ask about Java, C, C++ ? As most of the programming paradigm is being developed by these languages which is inherited and carried on by higher level languages and after invented languages. All the concepts like iteration, recursion, closures, OOP and much more were being approached by these languages early in century. So its quite often that universities always include these languages as root or maybe can say ground platform towards programming education. This is sort of my thinking process as I tackled it also in some of the interviews.
Moral - Languages are just tools to programming paradigm. How to approach a programming problem methodically, so you can formulate an algorithm that is specific and correct.